Karass
by Gota de Mar
Summary: AUPG13, For a little while] A messenger of death is sent to the earth to fetch a soul, but he never thought this soul has connections with gods higher than him.
1. Prologue

Yeah, I know. You are wondering: " what about the other chapter of 'Angels with Singed Wings'? When are you going to post it?" Well, let me tell you that one is on its way. It's just that I had a MAJOR problem with my crazy computer. You see, I wanted to install a Cd-R on it and – guess what?!!!! – the motherboard went loony! So I had to buy another one . … what a beautiful world, don't you think so? o.O

Ok… you know the drill with me. 

1. Hablo español!

2. Thinking – and, in this case, memories – are in _italics_.

**Disclaimer: ** NO I DON'T OWN THEM… so shoo!

Notes: …he,he… To tell you the truth, I don't know what went on my mind when I wrote this; but I'm developing it, giving it from – don't worry! I still don't know how should I call this. Maybe you could help me:: hint, hint ::on that matter…

 What do you think of these titles? 

1. Black

2.  The Hunted.

3. ~~~ Your suggestion placed here ~~

Well, on with the story!

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**Prologue:**

          One of the many Messengers of Death was sent to the Mortal World to do – what looked like – a very simple task. 

          Its mission was to simply go and fetch a handful of souls that were due; and bring them to the Underworld so they could be sent to their final resting place.

          It sounded so simple… It even looked simple once he saw the list of those he was supposed to look for. And his job was going on smoothly… Until he had to grab that… that… **that demonic girl's soul!**

Usually, the one in charge of this kind of task – The Kind Spirit of Death – could do this job in less than a day. He could lure his 'victims' into their Deaths without they knowing so. But since this particular Messenger was already engaged in a **very **special and delicate mission in the Mortal World, the great Hades decided – against his better knowledge – to send his younger, and most mischievous Messenger…

          _"It's simple, Shinigami."_ – the Messenger remembered bitterly. – _"Just take the list and memorize it. Although you'll be able to notice the ones I send you to go and bring here, it's better if you memorize their names. Sometimes they can be tricky; especially those who want to escape Death"_

          Shinigami snorted. 

          "… So there are ones who want to escape Death, huh?" – he muttered sourly, while moving slowly through shadows following his last 'victim'. 

She was the last one on his list. A young girl between the ages of five or six – though he wasn't sure; and he didn't care. He didn't like nor understand mortal's practice of keeping track of the years they have lived. He thought that was a very stupid tradition, since every mortal would die one day or the other. The importance of one mortal's life wasn't measured in how many years he or she lived, but **what** good or bad deeds this mortal accomplished during their life, and if he or she learned something valuable during it.

For him, time was immaterial – since he was immortal. He's being 'alive' ever since the word _'millennia'_ started to be used; and still, he is considered a 'youngster' between his peers. So that's why he can't get the idea of keeping track of the years one has lived. He knows that a mortal would never beat the time and experience an immortal has – no matter how old in years they can be.

But, sometimes, there were ones who seem to have the talent to make immortal's task nearly impossible…

"Damn-demonic-mortal child!" – he growled when the girl – again – found a way to escape him.

          It's been **days** trying to grab her soul! She has delayed him terribly! And his father Hades must be furious with him – to boot…

          _"But they are children, Father. Do you think they'll try to trick me and escape Death?" _ - He remembered. And he just knew he was a fool at that time. He thought it was impossible for a mortal to try and escape **him**, the Great Destroyer Messenger.

          Now, he knows better…

          _"That's not the real problem right now, little Shinigami. The **real** problem is that there are those who may try to trick you so they could die." _ - Hades said. And his words were true, since he **met **a lot of souls who were trying to fool him.  But he dismissed them rapidly. They were easy to perceive – though he can't understand **why **would they want to die.

          _"People may **want** to die, Father? How could that be? Isn't life the greatest gift a soul can have?" _ - He remembers the disbelief in his voice. He was really naïve at that time…

          He remembers his Father's throne chamber, all dark and cold – the way he likes it. The great Hades was in his throne, looking like a giant seated on a mere mortal's simple chair. His voice, unenthusiastic and deep, seemed to roar through the room. Shinigami couldn't look straight at his eyes because his face was always shrouded in shadows – as if he didn't want to be seen. But the young Messenger could sense a deep sadness on his father's voice and aura.

          Hades sighed dejectedly. _"Yes it is, my son. But when they see so much pain and sadness around them, they start to think that Death could be the end to their problems."_

_          "Don't they know that Death isn't a solution, Father? That they just leave the Mortal World, but their souls continue to exist?" _ - Shinigami asked, agape, when his father shook his head sadly; telling him that mortal's didn't know a thing of what really happens when they 'die'.

          _"That's a knowledge only us, the Immortals, have, Shinigami. Souls forget what happens when they die once they touch the Mortal World."_

_          "That's sad…"_

_          "And it's even sadder since many of them want to leave the Mortal World right now."_

_          "Why?"_

_          "Because the Mortal World is suffering. A war is threatening Earth and humanity. The place, where you are supposed to go, is dying. A deadly virus is killing its inhabitants and – the irony of it all – is that the government has its cure. But they are not giving it to the people…"_

_          "That's awful, Father!" _ - Shinigami said, appalled.

          _"But it is the truth, my son. Mortal's can be like that…"_

_          "… And gods, too…" – whispered Shinigami._

_          "That's also true, Shinigami. But we don't **die** as mortals do. We change form; become weaker. Mortals leave the Mortal World, but their soul doesn't die. On the contrary, they become stronger because they gained more knowledge…"_

_          "If that's so, mortal's can become gods, too…"_

_          "It is not that simple, Shinigami." _ - Hades chuckled.__

 But now that he sees that girl, Shinigami wants to know if his Father's words were entirely true.

          "She must have some kind of power… This isn't normal."

          Finally, he found her – hidden under a pile of old newspapers and cardboard boxes. She was trying to mislead him, but her trembling betrayed her. She was sick with the virus like many others on that colony. She was supposed to be dead for over three days… But she was still fighting, trying to protect a younger child.

          He moved swiftly through mortals at such a high speed that they didn't noticed his presence but a mere chilling gust of wind that pricked at their necks. Usually, a mortal can feel a Messenger's presence when they stay too long at their side. When this happens, it usually means that this Messenger is there to grab your soul, but sometimes it happens when the Messenger was either planning on how to get their _victim's_ soul, or they were just resting or passing by.

          And since his 'victim' was already found, he moved at top speed to get to her. 

          He was in his Messenger of Destruction form. He looked like a black cloud of smoke that was floating near the ground. In this form, he didn't have a face, but a dark void were his features were supposed to be and big, bright orbs of deep violet would linger where his eyes should be. He always works with his bright silver scythe – though, in this occasion he didn't need it… supposedly.

          Now that he is beyond pissed, he's actually considering to **use** his scythe… So he took it out of his black cloak, practically making it **materialize** in his hand, and brought it up over his head. He was going to take that girl's soul **now**.

          Again, the girl seemed to **sense** him, and she peeked through her hiding-place. Once she saw him, she jumped up and grabbed the hand of the little child she was helping.

          "Come on!" – she yelled, pulling the innocent child. The kid nearly undulated in the air when she pulled him. She was running with the child 'flying' behind her.

          But Shinigami was faster, and, this time, he wasn't making any concessions to her. If he hadn't done it in the first place, maybe he would be back at his home right now.

          He stood in front of the girl, and swayed his scythe over her head – just to scare her and force her to look at his eyes. If she looked at his eyes, he could grab her soul. But she didn't look at him. She just elbowed him and then crashed into him with her shoulder in his stomach, leaving him off balance.

"Come on, Kid!" – she yelled, starting to run.

          The kid ran after her, whimpering, frightened, while Shinigami fell to the ground, near the kid's feet. Shinigami moved swiftly, and grabbed one of the kid's ankles and pulled. The kid fell flat on his face and started to shriek once he felt the death-chilling force of Shinigami's hand. And he started to kick about violently.

          The girl, hearing the kid's shrieks, turned.

          "Leave him alone!" – she cried furiously.

          "Let's make a deal." – Shinigami said. The old, incorruptible law of 'never talk to your victim' was long forgotten. He wanted to end with his task **right now**.

          "NO!" – she said, running towards them and kicking Shinigami in the face. 

          Shinigami caught her feet before she could touch him. He had to admit that the girl was strong and courageous… but a nuisance nevertheless. And she was supposed to be dead, also!

          Remembering that, he stood up, keeping the girl's feet in his hand. She started to thrash about, trying to kick him with her free leg. Ferocious growls could be heard out of her throat.  But Shinigami was stronger, and he kept her at a prudent distance away from his body.

          "You're coming with me!" – he growled.

          "NO, YOU MONSTER!"- She declared wholeheartedly and had the great luck to kick him in the face. But her feet went through him. She looked up, wide eyed, scared and confused when she learned that this man **didn't have a face. ** –"What the…?"

          Just when she was about to look at his 'face' – or lack of it – the kid screamed. 

          "What's that?" – the kid wailed.

          Shinigami took the opportunity to grab a hold of her chin. He forced her to look at him.

          "Close your eyes, Lita!" – a female voice thundered through the vast space they were in – a junkyard, to be precise. 

          Shinigami looked up. A bright cloud of gold and navy exploded, revealing a female form. A bright object – a magical object - was in her hand and she was threatening him with it. A short sword of silver with a jeweled handle flashed at him menacingly.

          "Leave her alone, Shinigami. She's not in your list anymore." – the woman said.

          "What do you mean 'she's not on my list anymore'? You can't decide that! Just Hades has that power…"

"Hades can't do, or say, anything once Jupiter or Selene make a decision. And they decided that girl **can't** die…" – the woman smirked at him

Shinigami, who had his nerves on edge already, lost his cool.

          "Oh, yeah?!  I don't give a damn about that! I have orders and I'm gonna follow them!"

          "You just can't do that…" – another woman said. This one had a dark aura and when she stepped out of her cloud, he saw that she held a long staff with a garnet orb on its end – another magical object.

          He just knew who they were…

          "Now, what in Hades name are you doing here? You are the Guardians of the Silver Moon! What do you want with this mortal child?!" – he asked, shaking the girl he still held by the chin.

          The girl screamed, feeling her jawbone snap.

          The one with the short sword ran towards him. Shinigami stood his ground, while the kid Lita was trying to help made a dash out of there.  The woman pummeled Shinigami to the ground and the girl landed near him, confused and hurting. The other woman – the one with the long staff – went to grab the little girl. But Shinigami turned and kicked her. He hurt Lita in the process and she stayed on the ground unconscious.

          "Grab him, Haruka!" – the one with the long staff said with a composed, commanding voice.

          "Oh, no! You don't!" – yelled Shinigami pulling himself on his feet and taking Lita in his arms in a swift motion. He turned and ran.

          What he didn't know was that he was running in the direction the kid Lita was helping took.

          Haruka growled and followed Shinigami.

          "Haruka, be careful! You can harm the girl!" – the one with the long staff said, running after her.

          "Don't worry, Setsuna! I'm going to aim to his feet!" – she said, lifting an arm up. –"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

          A golden globe formed in her fist and went rolling on the ground, making a groove while sparks fly about. The globe moved at high speed and knocked Shinigami in his legs. He fell on top of Lita.

          "Take her out of there, Haruka!" – ordered Setsuna.

          But Haruka was already on that task. She pulled Shinigami off Lita and lifted the girl.

          The kid Lita was helping was hiding near them and could hear everything. He was trembling and crying softly. He couldn't understand a thing of what was going on, but he felt that something very bad was happening. They were fighting over his friend Lita. And his friend seemed to be dead to him. Now he was all-alone in the world – and he didn't like it.

          When the kid saw that the one named Haruka took his friend Lita, he came out of his hiding place

          "Don't take her! Please!" – he pleaded.

          "Stay out of this, Kiddo. This is dangerous." – Haruka told him.

          "I won't let you have that girl…" – Shinigami stated, materializing his scythe in his hands; its blade pulsed bright silver.

          "Oh, no!" – Haruka whispered. She knew Shinigami was about to attack her, but she could turn and run, even with the girl in her arms. Curiously, she was worried for the kid. He was behind Shinigami and she doesn't know if his attack could harm him in any way. Besides, the wind swept with a chilling force that told her something bad was about to happen. – "Kid, run!" – she cried while turning and running with Lita in her arms.

          Shinigami swung his scythe, creating deadly waves of heat and density. A deafening buzz could be heard from his attack. The ground seemed to vibrate under the force of the waves he created. 

Haruka lost her footing and fell.

          "PLUTO DEADLY SCREAM!" – yelled Setsuna, sending a bright ball towards Shinigami.

          The ball caught him square in his chest and sent him flying backwards. His Messenger of Destruction form flickered, threatening to collapse and leave him in his Shinigami purest form – that of an Immortal soul. In that form he was weak and could die under the attack of another Immortal like the Guardians of the Silver Moon.

          And he was starting to feel weak already. If the Guardian decided to attack him once more, he could die…

          "PLUTO…"

          Unfortunately, his greatest worry was becoming a matter he was about to face…

          "…DEADLY…"

          "Oh, damn!" – he muttered.

          He needed to **do **something to protect himself, before she could **kill** him.

          _Why do they hate us so much?!_ – he thought.

          The kid behind him screamed when he saw that the Shinigami was about to land on him.

          "…SCREAM!"

          He didn't have another choice…

_Sorry, Kid…_ - he apologized mentally.

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How does it look so far? =^.^=

Remember that I'm expecting your suggestions on the title!

Bye!


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I don't own either GW or SM, and the purpose of this fic is solely for entertainment – hope so… Ah! And I also don't own the gods and goddesses of the Greek and/or Roman mythology.

Hi, peoples! Thanks for your suggestions for a title! This chapter is going to be very boring, I tell you, but it's important for the development of the story. I don't know what is going on with this because I can't seem to find a good outline for it. This story keeps changing and changing in my mind – maybe you know what I'm talking about.           

**Author's Notes: **Many of the things you'll read in this story were inspired from mythology – though I'm going to mess it a little.

Ok! On with the story and hope you like it!

**Chapter One**

There was a time, even before the Silver Millennium, in which gods ruled the Earth and its inhabitants. This time, long forgotten in people's minds, was a very magical time since gods and goddesses walked the Earth and interacted with mortals in a normal basis.  

Mortals were respected and, if they reached their goals throughout their lifetimes and did many good deeds, they could become demigods.

            But it wasn't easy to attain a demigod status – though mortals have a long lifetime to reach it. A **really** long lifetime…

            Mortals could live for long millennia without fearing death. In fact, the concept of death was very different from the way it is seen today. At that time, death was more of a personal decision than a mysterious and inevitable price of being alive. Many used to call it 'the long sleep", because – in a way – that's what it was.

            A mortal could decide just when and where he or she wanted to 'die'. And they could even tell others beforehand so they could hold a ritual. 

In this ritual, the mortal was to contact a deep state of meditation where his or her soul would leave its physical body to get to the Astral Dimension. In the Astral Dimension, ruled by the god Uranus, time moved at a different pace. Souls could rest there up until they decided to return to the Mortal World to either continue their last life or start a new one. Bodies could be burned, if the last 'owner' of it decided to do so, or it could be placed on crystal tombs to 'wait' for them to return. 

            This whole process could be held without mortals loosing a bit of their memories of all of their past lives. And, though they may go to the Astral Dimension to 'rest' and spend decades there, mortals – technically – didn't die.

Mortals could live on, trying to become demigods or demigoddesses. Throughout their lives they'll become stronger, thanks to the knowledge they've gained. And, every time they reached a higher level of knowledge, the gods would put mortals through many tests to see if they were worthy. Many mortals failed their tests and the price was to become weaker. But this didn't discourage mortals, it made them try harder to grow and become worthy of the demigod's status.

            World was a happy place to live for long millennia… until a group of mortals started to feel ambitious.

            Fueled by Ares constant thirst for war and gore, many weak-minded mortals started to believe they could harm the reputation of gods. Mortals could start to question gods' real intentions – are they just playing with mortal's innocence and their general desire to grow? Why was that that just a bunch of mortals actually reached demigod status? And why this selected group of mortals-turned-to-demigods has some kind of connection to the gods – say through birth or favors they received throughout their lifetimes? 

            If mortals started to distrust gods, a war would brake for the absolute control of mortal's lives.

            And that's just what Ares wanted…

            Selene, Goddess and Queen of the Moon, fearing a bloody war just like the one they held against the Titans, started to make plans for a new place where gods and mortals could live in peace and as one. A place where gods influence was limited to nature so they could provide a healthy atmosphere for mortals to live. A place where mortals were to be just mortals so there couldn't be any distrusts or ambition coming from them. 

            That's how the Silver Moon came to be, with the help of Jupiter, King of Gods. And those mortals, and even gods, who still believed in them. 

Up to the Moon went Hermes, Juno – Queen of Gods -, Athena – which in time started to be called Haruka -, Apollo – this one went to live on the Sun - and Aphrodite with her baby Eros.  And also a group of demigods and demigoddesses went with them to live in the utopian sphere of the Silver Moon. 

            The others stayed down on Earth…  and war **seemed** to be avoided…

            Gods on the Moon, inspired by Apollo's idea, started to travel and conquer other places in space. Many of them decided to make their residence on those planets they found. And many of those other gods that stayed on Earth started to get attracted with the idea of a peaceful place since the Earth – ruled by Ares – was a sad place to live.

            The Silver Moon was peaceful for a couple of millennia… until it started to have its flaws… A dark secret loomed its bases – threatening to smash it to the ground. And it had a lot to do with a child who has the spirit of Earth and thunder… A child who came to be as a product of the disloyalty the Silver Moon was against of. 

 Jupiter's younger daughter… Princess Persephone…and, thanks to her, war did came to the Silver Moon…

            But that's another story I'll tell you later…

            Jupiter's voice roared through space…

            "SOMEONE TOLD THEM!" – he thundered – literally. The usually quiet and strong marble halls of the Jupitarian Palace shook, as well as the ground. The sky "dome" of the Astral Dimension lit up with silver lightning streaks.

            The Higher Gods were gathered in the Jupitarian Palace's observation chamber – an open space surrounded by tall, white and gold marble columns. At the north side of the chamber, Jupiter's massive throne of white granite was held, high above the ground by three steps. In the middle of the chamber, a fountain filled with crystal clear waters was shining with a silver hue. Inside this fountain, an image of an unconscious girl, pressed protectively to the chest of a young woman with long green hair, filled the waters.  

            The King of the Higher Gods pounced his fist on the armrest of his throne.

            "Who did it?!" – he demanded, eyes narrowed and an eyebrow raised high, nearly touching his hairline. His chestnut hair started to turn white, projecting lightning streaks. His cheeks were flushed. –" WHO did it?!" – he yelled.

            Jupiter was beyond mad – he was at his worst. He was furious to the point where he was capable of summoning hurricanes without him knowing so. And when he was like that, you just don't want to be near him. Only a few can reason with him when he is like that… and two of them were still displayed on the fountain…

            "WHO DID IT?!" – he roared, wind swirling high on the Astral Dimension's dome. A nasty sulfurous smell reached their noses, and the rest of the Higher Gods winced. 

            At Jupiter's left side, his wife and Queen of the Higher Gods, Juno, held her nose. She was a beautiful woman with long, reddish hair and sharp, dark green eyes. She was the epitome of grace and elegance, but she could be a tease whenever her husband's temper was at such a smelly display. 

            "Dear husband, please calm yourself." – she said with a warm, syrupy voice while gingerly placing a hand on his shoulder. –"You are intoxicating the air."

            But Jupiter didn't hear her. His eyes were cast at a bright cloud of smoke that appeared not so far from where the fountain was. The cloud dispersed, leaving three figures in front of the King. A tall woman, with long green hair, held protectively a young girl to her chest – this girl looking extremely pale. Beside the tall woman, an also tall, teenage girl stood, heaving slightly – she seemed as if she just ran a marathon.

            "We are so sorry, brother." – said the tall, green-haired, woman.

            A woman with long russet hair and striking emerald eyes stood near the recently arrived females. Her beautiful face scrunched up with worry while she extended her arms to catch the young girl.

            "Is she all right? – she whispered.

            The tall, green-haired woman smiled warmly at her. "She's fine." – she whispered back.

            "They nearly GOT HER, Setsuna!" – Jupiter roared, still mad. His younger child was nearly got by those who he despises the most – the Underworld people.

            "We're so sorry, father." – the teenage girl said, kneeling. –"It's all my fault…"

            "Do not say that, Haruka." – Queen Juno said. –"It is not your fault at all."

            The woman who was carrying the girl now, scowled at the Queen. She was a beauty, just like the Queen Juno of Jupiter. In fact, they were sisters. Both of them had red locks and green eyes. But this woman had a grace far more tantalizing than that of the Queen and she was as sweet and pure as honey- although nobody could be able to said so now, when her temper was so flare up. She held herself with dignity, displaying a beautiful headdress made of flowers. She looked like a forest nymph. But she was no 'ordinary' nymph. She was a woman who dared to look at her Queen right in the eye…

            Queen Juno looked offended, and her verdant eyes narrowed at her sister. An air of contempt filled the air. Both women seemed to be throwing daggers at one another. It was well known by anybody on the Astral Dimension that they held certain dislike for the guts of the other. And they seemed about to spit this dislike any moment now.

            Queen Selene of the Moon, seeing this, stepped forward…

            "We do not need to know whose fault is." – Queen Selene said in a warm, serene tone of voice. –"There are far more important things to resolve now."

            Selene was the voice of reason right then. She was a beautiful woman with hair as light as silver, and big violet eyes. But, as I said before, there were a few who could reason with the King of the Higher Gods – and Selene wasn't one of them.

            "I still want to know who did this. WHO told them my daughter was in the Mortal World! And I'll ask one more time…" – Jupiter said, his light blue eyes narrowing menacingly. –"Who told them?"

            "You should not be asking that?" – the woman carrying the young girl roared while glancing ferociously at her sister. –"All of us already know **who** did it…"

            Queen Juno's brow twitched and her lips pressed together into a tight, white line.

            Jupiter, hearing the woman's not-so-discreet accusation, sighed. His massive shoulders slumped and his head hung low. His hair receded to his normal chestnut color. –"Not again!"- he murmured.

            Queen Juno snapped her head to her right, a deep scowl on her face. But, in the process, her eyes got a glimpse of her smirking sister – which told her of her ability to control Jupiter's raging temper. Juno smirked also when an idea came to her. She softened her face and smiled sweetly…

            "Aren't you going to say something other than 'not again', **dear husband**?" – Queen Juno asked with a fake smile on her lips.

            Juno's sister lifted her nose high into the air. She was about to reply something, but her pride stopped her before she could retort. Also, Queen Selene intervened. 

            "Please, do not start a fight you two, Juno, Demeter. We should be concentrating on more important matters. Like, what are we going to do now…"

            Someone sighed loudly, making everybody's gaze to follow the sound. In front of the fountain a golden light exploded into a shower of hearts.  A female figure stood, wearing a tight tunic made of white silk. Her golden hair was held high into an intricate ponytail of braids and curls. She was wearing a headdress of hearts made in gold with amber accents.

            "There is nothing for us to do…" – she said, snapping her fingers to materialize a fainting couch behind her. She sat lazily, sighing and materializing a bowl full of treats in front of her. – "I say we should let those Messengers get her…"

            "What?!" – Demeter and Jupiter cried in unison.

            "You can't be serious, Aphrodite!" – Selene said, agape and forgetting the royal manner of speaking.

            "I won't let those blasted Messengers get my daughter!" – Jupiter yelled.

            Aphrodite shrugged and brought an amber-colored treat to her lips. And just when she was about to take a bite, Selene slapped her hand…

            "What, in the Moon's name, is wrong with you, Aphrodite?! This isn't you at all…"

            Aphrodite scowled at her sister. She shoved her treat into her mouth and smiled defiantly. "I'm tired of all this!" – she said with her mouth full. –"It is **not** fair!" – she said, pieces of her treat flying out of her mouth and landing on her sister's prim silvery dress.

            "Don't do that, Aphrodite!" – Queen Juno reprimanded. –"That is disgusting…"

            Aphrodite smirked and lounged back on her seat, stretching her arms over her head and sighing. She knew she would get into her sisters' nerves by talking with her mouth full. And now she was contented she succeeded…

            Setsuna sighed. "We have been doing this for far too long, brother." – she said. –"We are risking too much. What would happen if Father ever gets to know this?"

            Haruka straightened, a look of worry smeared on her features. "I have the ability to feel my grandfather, Uranus, and I know something is not right with him…"

            "What do you mean, Haruka dear?" – Juno asked turning pale.

            "I do not know for sure, Mother, but I got the feeling that he may be planning on coming back…"

            Now it was Jupiter's turn to pale. "What?!" – he asked, eyes wide. –"We have to take her out of here!" – he said, frantic. He stood from his throne and went to grab his daughter. Demeter's light green eyes were wide with fear. If Uranus decided to come back, there won't be a way for them to save the girl. She would be sent to the Underworld without mercy…

            Just then, the wind blew and howled threateningly. The air chilled and the Higher God's shivered – though none of them knew if it was from cold or fear. They all knew who just arrived…

            "Don't you try to fool me once more, Son!" – a deep voice thundered.

            All of the Higher Gods, except Aphrodite, swallowed and turned slightly. Outside the chamber stood the Distant Sky King, the former king of Gods, the Great Uranus. He was scowling fiercely at them, wind howling around his body making his long, white beard to undulate in the air while he summoned the winds to pick up the young girl from her father's grasp.

            Jupiter gasped. Juno's eyes widened with shock and fear. Demeter stood motionless at Setsuna's side. Selene's skin turned a whiter shade. Haruka scowled. And Aphrodite filed her nails, humming softly to herself.

            "Father, please, don't take her away!" – surprisingly, it was Juno's voice that said these words. She was shaking while her eyes welled up with tears of extreme anxiety. –"Please, don't!"

            But it was too late. The girl was safely pressed to Uranus chest. He held one hand up…

            "I won't tolerate any more of this." – he said. –"You have been playing with time and destiny for too long…"

            "But, Father…" – Jupiter started to protest.

            Uranus stopped him with a simple gesture of his hand. Behind the former King, three silhouettes stood…

            "I am going to end with this nonsense right now, Son. You won't change destiny anymore. Do you know what your stupid manipulations provoked?"

            Silence ruled the space…

            "A war will break." – Uranus said. –"A war Hades tried to prevent and, thanks to you, will come to be. Now he and his Messengers are stranded on the Mortal World. Do you know what could happen? Ares may come and try to take the Underworld once more! And all because of you!" 

            "But Ares is trapped on the Underworld, King Uranus." – Selene said. –"He can't come out."

            Uranus smiled sarcastically. "Fools!" – he said. –"All of you are fools! That's why you are **trapped **in the Astral Dimension… That's why **all **of this started in the first place. But I'm not letting you curse my granddaughters' life. And I'm going to clean the mess you created…" – he waved his hand and the three silhouettes behind him materialized completely.

            The Higher Gods were facing the Parcae, the three deities of Fate. They were Urth, the oldest, which had long white hair and wore a dark cloak; Verthandi, a young woman with long blonde hair who wore a light blue tunic; and Skuld, the youngest, which also had blonde hair and wore a rose robe. The young woman, Verthandi, stepped forward and took the little girl from Uranus arms.

            "NO. PLEASE!" – Jupiter cried.

            "It is time…" – Urth started.

            "To right…" – Verthandi continued.

            "Wrongs."- Skuld finished.

            "You won't…" – Urth started again.

            "Interfere…" – Verthandi said.

            "This time." – Skuld finished.

            And, then, the three deities started to glow on their respective colors, black, light blue and pink. The young girl also started to glow, but she did it in a soft green hue. When the girl's light became as strong as those of the Parcae, they merged together and left in a long, bright line that touched the Astral Dimension's dome.

            "Oh, Goodness…" – Selene whispered, seeing how the bright line became thinner and, then, disappeared in the endless midnight blue of the Astral Dimension's dome.

            "I hope justice will be attained this time…" – Aphrodite said.

            Jupiter shook his head and looked at his father pleadingly…But Uranus just smiled sadly.

            "Now, everything that happens is going to be out of your hands. You can still keep an eye on her, but you won't be able to intrude in her life. And if you **do** try to intrude then," – he didn't finished his statement and shook his head sadly. –" It is time to keep your promises…" – he finished, raising his arms and summoning the winds of time. His dark blue cloak and hair started to undulate in the air. –"Hope to see you soon, my Son…" – his voice trailed off while his body became one with the air.

            The Higher Gods stood there, agape – all, except Aphrodite, who stood from her fainting couch and turned. "Let's hope we see our children again…" – she said disappearing with a shower of golden hearts.

            Selene scowled, looking to where her younger sister was sitting just a few moments ago. _Did she have something to do with this? _, she thought.

            Juno sat heavily on Jupiter's throne, her shoulders started to shake and she brought her hands to her face, sobbing.

            Demeter caught a sight of this and went, raging, to her. "This is all your fault!" – she said, tears streaming down her face. –"You sold your own child!"

            Juno raised her face and looked at her sister through tears. A deep scowl started to form on her face. She was so tempted to pound her sister, but the hurt on Demeter's eyes stopped her from doing so. Still she couldn't forget her lies and offensive words. She stood and left in a bright flash of maroon color.   

            "Do you think we could help her somehow, Setsuna?" – asked Selene.

            "I am not sure, Queen Selene. But Father **did **say that we could be near her…"

            "I want to be with her…" – a new voice said.

            Everybody turned to look at the graceful form of Neo Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. The young Queen of the Silver Moon must have felt something wrong happened with one of her closest friends, because she was there surrounded with part of her guards. Her husband, Neo King Endymion also stood near her.

            "We'll keep an eye on her." – Princess Rei of Mars said. –"And try to keep her from getting near to any of this Messengers…"

            "It is dangerous, Rei." – Haruka said. –"If my grandfather's words are true, she may start to remember what happened…"

            "We can't leave her all alone down there!" – Princess Ami of Mercury interrupted, surprising everyone with, what sounded like, rudeness. –"She's our friend…"

            "She helped us when we needed it." – Princess Mina of Venus said. –"It is only fair that we do the same for her…"

            "We can not let her be caught by any of the Messengers." – Selene said. – "Life, as we know it, may end…"

            Neo Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo nodded. She looked sadly over her shoulder to her beloved husband. Neo King Endymion smiled kindly at her and bent down to place a kiss on her forehead. "Go" – he whispered in her ear, before hugging her. The young queen hugged him with all of her might.

            "It is settled then." – Haruka said. –"We are going to help her…"

            "But we can just go down there," – said Princess Ami of Mercury –"we need to make a plan…"

            "Well, then, let's do it!" – said Princess Mina of Venus.

**_198 A.C._**

Earth 

****__

****

****"Waaaaaahhhhhh! Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

            She could hear her sister crying down the hallway of the school. And the note of desperation on her cries made her run towards the small office at the end of the corridor. She was oblivious to the cheerful walls painted in a bright yellow shade that surrounded her. Or to the many tiny hands that decorated those walls with the colors of the rainbow. She wasn't interested on that. She just wanted to get to her little sister. She has to protect her…

            When she reached the door of the director's office, she peeked through the crystal window beside it to see inside. There she saw a very distressed baby sister, turning red from all of her crying. Her lovely caramel locks looked messy with big chunks of it coming out of her pigtails. Not so far away from where her sister was, a young boy, with messy chocolate brown hair, stood smirking while crossing his chubby arms about his chest.

"Lita, please." – the nurse of the school said, trying to calm down the crying child. She was a young woman with long, black hair and mysterious violet eyes.

            But Lita just threw her head back and cried louder…

            "I want **Mommy**! Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

            The little boy's smirk turned to mocking laughter.

            The young girl outside the office couldn't stand to see her sister crying like that any longer while that brat was making fun of her. So she opened the door forcefully nearly yanking it from the threshold, her protective side making her do things rudely, and she stepped inside the office with a deep scowl on her face.

            "What happened here?!" – she asked, walking to her sister's side. She placed a hand on her sister's head and the little girl stopped crying, looking up to her.

            "Mako! Mako!" – her sister said, hiccupping and shaking her head while her lips were trembling. 

            "What happened, Sweetie Pie?" – the young girl asked softly, kneeling in front of her sister to be at the same height.

            Lita threw her hands around the young girl's neck and hugged her.

            "Luna, Mako! Luna! Waaaaahhh!" – Lita cried in her sister's ear.

            The young girl raised an eyebrow and looked completely crossed towards the nurse. 

            "What?" – the young girl asked.

            The nurse sighed, placing a hand on her hip and standing in front of the two girls.

            "Lita lost Luna on her trip, Makoto." – she explained. –"Nobody knows how it happened, but she got here just like that…"- she said, referring to Lita's bawling.

            The young girl, named Makoto, scowled and looked at the laughing boy.

            "Did you have something to do with this, boy?" – she asked.

            The boy stopped laughing and looked at Makoto with faked deer-about-to-be-hit-by-a-car eyes.

            "Nothing…" – the boy said, pouting and frowning at Makoto.

            But Makoto didn't buy the boy's 'innocence'. She growled…

            "Oh, kid, you better be telling me the truth because…!"

            "He did it, Mako! He threw Luna down the stairs, waaaaahhhhhhhh! And he said there is a monster! I couldn't save Luna…. Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!" – Lita said, throwing her head back and wailing.

            The nurse winced when Lita's high-pitched cries nearly left her deaf. Makoto picked up her sister and cooed her. She rocked her, placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered on her ear. But Lita continued to cry, though not so loud. The little girl rubbed her face on Makoto's shoulder, then sighed.

            "She's tired." – Makoto said softly.

            The nurse nodded and smiled fondly at the two. "I think you better take her home." - she said. –"I'll make sure young mister over there tells me what really happened on the trip. Right, Billy?" – the nurse said. 

            The boy pouted. "I didn't do anything!" – and he crossed his arms.

            The nurse raised an eyebrow. "We'll see…"- then, she looked at Makoto –"And I'll call the Preventer's headquarters to see if they found something."

            "Thank you." – Makoto smiled.

            "Pweese… find Luna…" – Lita said.

            "WHAT?!" – yelled an exasperated Chinese young man. –"This is not the missing objects department!" – and he hanged the phone.

            ~ RING! RING! ~

"Chang Wufei…"

            _"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"_

            "Not you again, onna! How the hell did you found this extension so fast?"

            But the person didn't hear his question since she was talking at the same time he spoke…

            _"I'm going to **report** you to your superior! Your not supposed to talk to people the way you did to me!"_

            "Look, Miss, I'm not in the mood for this nonsense. If your child lost her teddy bear, **go buy her another one**!"****

            _"It's not a **teddybear **!! Is a stuffed cat with a crescent moon on the forehead…"_

            "**What-ever**!"

            While the Chinese young man argued with the person on the phone, the door of his office was opened and two men came inside. One of them smiled impishly, while the other one didn't look interested on the events in front of them.

            "Wow! Sally at her best …" – the one with the impish grin commented.

            "Sally is on vacation." – the other one said reaching his desk and seating in front of a computer.

            "Oh, yeah. I forgot."- he said, and then frowned. –"Then, with whom is Wu-man arguing?"

            The other didn't answer; he just flipped on his computer and started to type – though his attention went to the Chinese man…

            "If I promise to look for the damn teddy bear…" 

            _"**CAT**, DAMNIT!!"_

            "ALL RIGHT, **CAT!** Would you leave me alone to do **my work **if I promise to look for the damn toy?!"

            _"It would be nice of you, **for a change**, if you do so…"_

"Damn onna…" – muttered the Chinese young man.

            _"What did you say?"_

"I'll look for the damn teddy! Give me your phone number and I'll call you if I find it."

            The man jotted the number on a piece of paper.

            "This is your friend's phone and her name is… all right…and her address is…yeah, I got it… Damnit, I'd say I'd look for it! Argh!" – the man looked at the earpiece of his phone and scowled. He was about to smash it against the base, but he controlled his anger before doing so…

            "Wow, Wu-man, who was that?"

            The man growled and narrowed his eyes. He was about to loose his temper again…

            "You'll never learn, don't you, baka?" – he asked, walking to the door.

            "Where are you going?"

            "To look for a damn toy!" – he said placing a hand on the doorknob.

            One of the two other young men in the room started to laugh, making the Chinese one to turn and point a finger to him.

            "Stop laughing, Maxwell and come and help me!" – he said.

            "Me? Now way!"

            "Come or I'll chop your braid off! Besides, the toy is owned by one of those kids you escorted this morning…"

            "The ones from pre-school?"

            "Yes. The child's name is Lita Kino…"

            Maxwell smiled…

            "I know who she is…"

            Makoto left the school with her baby sister held protectively to her chest. They had to take a bus and then walk to their home.  Through the entire trip to the district where they live, the little kid stayed sleepy and sad…

            "Mommy…mommy…"- Lita mumbled against Makoto's chest.

            They were getting near where they live – a little apartment on the second floor of an old house, the first floor of it being Makoto's only means of survival. She inherited a small café from her mother and she's been taking care of it ever since her mother gave birth to her little sister and started to have problems with her heart. It seems those years, traveling around the colonies had its toll on her. Or maybe the sadness of being left alone really broke her heart…

            _It's been three years since you died, Mother. And I still miss you so much…_

            Lita sighed and lifted her head from Makoto's chest. "I want Luna, Mommy. Where's Luna?"- she asked, pouting.

            Makoto smiled sadly. Her sister always have a tendency to call her 'Mommy' whenever she's sad - or she wants something really bad. The gesture touches her, but at the same time saddens her. Her sister never got to know their mother, so she must see Makoto as her mother figure.

            They were passing in front of an old cemetery. Makoto glanced at it, her eyes getting a far off look. She stopped and went inside. The sky above her started to turn gray.

            When they reached one particular tombstone, Makoto stopped and placed Lita on the ground. The kid looked around, confused and stood beside her sister's kneeling form. She saw that Makoto's eyes were welling and that her chin quivered slightly. Makoto was delineating the engraved words on the cold rock, a couple of tears falling from her eyes.

            "Why Mommy sleeps there?" –Lita asked, her caramel-colored brows creasing in confusion. - "Why don't she sleeps on our house, with us Mako?"

            Makoto had to smile. Her little sister just reached the stage where all toddlers start to ask endless questions. Sometimes it was hard for her to keep up with the kid and her constant chatter and questions, but she must admit that she also liked to have her sister around. Loneliness is too much of a burden for a young girl's heart, especially for one who seemed to have the ability to loose all that she holds dear with a frightening easiness. 

First, she lost her father in a plane crash when she was about the same age her sister is now. She also lost her stepfather – he left when he learned Makoto's mother was sick. And then, the icing of the cake, she lost her mother due to heart problems about three years ago. 

Her little sister meant the whole world for her. She was the reason why she was still able to smile. She was the purpose that kept her going. And she doesn't want to think how lonely her life could be if her sister wasn't around. That's why she protects her with all of her might.

Rain started to fall lightly.

            "We better get going, Lita." – Makoto said, standing up from the soft ground.

            Lita, looked up to her sister with wide green eyes. She still couldn't understand what does that simple granite tombstone in front of her meant. She's just a toddler after all, a bright one at that, but still too young.

            "Why she sleeps there?"- she insisted.

            Makoto chuckled just when the wind started to blow cold, humid air on them. Makoto kneeled in front of her sister. Lita was frowning, still waiting for her answer to her earlier questions while Makoto pulled the hood of her pink jacket over her small head and buttoned it securely under her chin.

            "I told you, Lita." – Makoto whispered. – "She's not there anymore. Her spirit is keeping an eye on us from Heaven…" – she finished, straightening herself and taking her sister's hand.

            "Where's Heaven?" – asked Lita looking up to her sister and frowning once more. –"Can I go there, too?"

            Makoto's body tensed. She wanted to tell her sister that she couldn't go to Heaven and that she couldn't leave her alone. But she held her tongue before doing so. Instead, she smiled warmly at her sister and gave her a reassuring squeeze on her hand. They were walking out of the graveyard as fast as Lita's short legs allowed them.

            "You can't go to Heaven now, Lita." – Makoto said with a warm smile on her lips while looking down to her sister. –"To do so, you would have to leave me. Do you want to leave me?"

            "No!" – Lita answered vehemently, while pouting with resolution on her childish face. –"I don't wanna leave you!"

            They reached the street and moved fast down the sidewalk, trying to get to their home before the rain gets them full force. Lita was walking – or should I say, bounce - on the tip of her toes, trying to keep up with her sister's long strides. Rain actually was getting worse - too fast for comfort.

            Makoto had Lita's small backpack in her hand. Raindrops were crashing on her face, making it difficult for her to look forward. She picked Lita on her arms and started to run. She didn't want her sister to get sick… and she was so worried for her sister's safety that she never noticed the man that was walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction they were running.

            They clashed…

            Makoto fell hard on her butt, surprisingly, still clutching Lita to her chest.

            The man was off balance, but he didn't fall.

            "Hey! Look where you going!" – Makoto cried, scowling fiercely.

            The man didn't say a thing. He just bent and extended a hand to her. Rain was soaking him and he didn't seemed to mind at all.

            Lita looked up to him and scowled…

            Makoto's features softened and she took his hand. In this time and date, it's a rarity to find someone who actually tries to help you. The man pulled firmly and helped her to her feet…

            "Thank you." – she whispered, smiling at him.

            He turned to leave…

            "Hey!" – Makoto called.

            He stopped, but he never turned to look at her. She noticed he was a tall man – taller than her – and that he had auburn hair. His shoulders were broad and he seemed to be in good physical shape, though his body was lean.

            "I was rude to you a moment ago." – Makoto said. –"Would you care for some coffee? My treat."

            "No, thank you." – he simply said, his voice rich but nearly devoid of inflection.

            "Its cold." – Lita whispered, shivering in Makoto's arms, her scowl still deep on her features.

            Makoto sighed and looked down to her sister. Lita's face softened at the sound of her sister's sigh, but her lower lip was quivering and Makoto, instinctively, pressed her to her chest.

            "We're going home now…" – Makoto whispered, stealing a glance to where the man was…

            But he was already gone…

They found their café and they went in right away. The merry tinkle of a bell placed high on the door announced their arrival. Makoto looked around, skipping all the details of the place. She knew it by heart. Her small café seemed a little rustic, but very warm and homey. Everything inside of it was in country style, which meant a lot of wood, gingham and wildflowers. The aroma that came from the kitchen just enhanced its appeal. They were baking apple pies…

            "Um! Sweets! Yay!" – Lita rejoiced jumping.

            A blonde girl came out of the kitchen. 

            "Oh, hi!"- the girl said, smiling warmly.

            "Hi!" – Makoto replied with a smile while kneeling beside her sister. - "You finally got here, Mina."

            "Hi, hi!" – Lita sang waving her small, free hand at her.

            Makoto was too busy trying to take the jacket off of her sister's shoulders to notice that they weren't alone in the café.   

            A young man, reaching his late teenage years, was staring at Makoto and her sister from his table at the far end of the café. He had long chestnut hair, neatly braided, and big expressive indigo eyes. He was wearing a dark jacket over a red shirt and black pants. A smile grazed his lips at the scene.

            "What happened? Why are you soaking wet?" – the blonde girl asked.

            "Mako bumped with a man in the street and she fell…" – Lita explained.

            Mina smiled mischievously. "Was he handsome?" – she asked.

            Makoto looked at her and shook her head. "You'll never change, would you?"

            "I want some cake, Mako." – Lita said.

            "No, we're going up to change your clothes…"

            "But I want some cake!" – the girl said, pouting cutely at the young woman. –"Pweese!"

            "No."

            "How 'bout some juice and toast?" – suggested Mina from the other side of the counter.

            Lita wasn't too excited with the suggestion…

            "That'll be fine." –Makoto said looking down at Lita. –"Don't you think so, Lita?"

            "No." – Lita declared, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. –"I want some cake!"

            The young man's smile widened.

            "I've told you, time and again, that you can't eat sweets before dinner."

            Lita pouted even more and scowled at the young woman. "I want cake!" – she declared defiantly. –"I_ want _cake!" - Lita turned on the balls of her feet and ran. Her plan was to get to the kitchen and grab a piece of cake before Makoto catches her.

            Makoto sighed and went to stop Lita before she gets to the kitchen. She grabbed the girl by one of her curly pigtails, making her turn and yell angrily at her. Makoto chose that moment to pick up her sister. Then she walked to a stool and sat the little girl there. Lita just held her nose high, refusing to look at the young woman while she kept her arms crossed over her chest.

            The young man chuckled and, somehow, caught the attention of the little girl.

            "Duo!" – she smiled at him and waved her little hand.

            Makoto looked confused for a moment. Lita took advantage of this and jumped from the stool and ran towards the young man.

            "Duo! Is you!" – Lita said smiling brightly at the braided young man.

            He smiled kindly at her, while Makoto frowned at him. The young woman, who had a beautiful head of reddish-brown hair and soft green eyes, went to them. She cleared her throat to gain their attention…

            "Do I know you?" – she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

            The young man looked up to her and smiled a charming smile meant to melt any girl's defenses. But Makoto was in protective mode and his smile didn't faze her. On the contrary, she scowled at him…

            "She's Mommy, Duo. Remember I told you about her?" –Lita said taking the young man's hand and giving it a pull. Duo's attention was solely on her sister, and Lita didn't like that.

            Duo looked taken aback by Lita's words. He never thought such a young – _and so beautiful_ – woman can be Lita's mother. Why! She looks as young as he does, or even younger…

            "I didn't knew Lita has such a beautiful mother…" – he murmured without him knowing he actually expressed his thoughts out loud. –"And so young, too…"

            Someone giggled on the kitchen and Mina's golden head popped from a window placed on the wall behind the counter. Her beautiful sky blue eyes held mirth while she looked at the braided boy. 

            Duo looked a little uncomfortable. "Did I miss something?" – he asked.

            Makoto smiled at him with a very gentle smile that softened her features and made her look like an ethereal creature. There was something on her eyes that seemed so familiar to him, but he didn't know what. He doesn't remember meeting a girl like her on his life – he knows he would never forget such a charming face. But still, he feels he knows her… he just doesn't know from where.

            Lita gave a hard pull to his hand, making him look down at her. She was so tiny that she looked like a little doll. Yet her scowl and pout told him she was no toy.

            "Why you look at Mommy like that?" – she asked.

            Makoto laughed nervously. She also noticed the hard gaze the young man gave her. It made her feel self-conscious and timid – things she didn't like, since it was the first time she felt something like it with a young man. She could feel her hands shake and sweat. Her cheeks felt hot under his gaze and something stirred at the pit of her stomach. And it wasn't that this young man wasn't attractive. Quite the opposite, she found him very attractive and just the thought made her feel even more nervous…

            "So, Lita, what happened in school?" – another young woman asked absentmindedly. This one had a very warm voice. She sported a head of short blue-black hair and deep blue eyes. In her hands she carried a tray with freshly baked apple pie that she was placing on a plate over the counter.

            "Yeah, Lita. What happened in school?" – asked Mina from the inside of the kitchen, her head peeking trough the window behind the counter – "I forgot to ask you. Did that boy Billy did something to you?"

            "Oh, no…" – muttered Makoto bringing a hand to her hair and preparing herself for the worst.

            Lita's face scrunched up. Her lower lip started to tremble. She threw her head back and …

            "Luuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! Luna!" – she cried.

            Duo winced and Makoto bent down to carry her. Mina came out of the kitchen and the other young woman nearly drops the apple pie in her hands.

            "That Billy boy did something to her, did he?" – Mina spat angrily. –"I'll show him!"

            "Mina!" – the one with the short blue-black hair admonished. –"He's just a kid."

            "He's a **devil** kid! That's what he is, Amy!" – Mina said placing her hands on her hips.

            "Luuuuunnnnnnaaaaa, Mommy! I want Luna!"

            "Sh… Sweetie Pie, Raye said she'd try to find her…sh…" – Makoto cooed on Lita's ear.

            "No! I want Luna **now**!" 

            The young man, though entranced with the way Makoto held the little girl and talked to her softly, just had to ask…

            "What's Luna?"

            Makoto smiled to him and for the second time he felt he knew her from somewhere… he just couldn't place a finger where. The young woman blushed under his intent gaze while she patted the little kid's back. She seemed nervous when she started to answer his question. She even cleared her throat before doing so.

            "Luna is Lita's favorite toy." – she explained over Lita's high-pitched cries. –"She goes everywhere with it."

            Duo had the impulse to smack his own forehead. How could he forget the reason why he was in that café?

            "You mean…" – he said turning and looking beside him and picked up a dark bundle. –     "This?" – he finished unwrapping the bundle and showing a black cuddly cat with a yellow crescent on its forehead.

            Lita looked up from Makoto's shoulder and her verdant eyes lighted up with happiness.

            "Luna! You saved her, Duo!"

            Makoto, once more on protective mode, narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

            "Who are you?" – she asked him. She had to put Lita on the ground because her little sister was jumping up and down in her arms trying to grab her favorite toy.

            The young man smiled dashingly at her. His full attention placed upon her once more and – this time – without any distractions. Lita went to Amy and Mina's side to tell them 'Duo saved Luna'. The young girl then proceeded to explain them how Billy threw her toy down a staircase, while Mina kept a mischievous eye on the pair in front of her. A small, impish smile grazed Mina's lips.

            The young man gave a step forward while Makoto moved two backwards bringing a hand to her throat unconsciously. He extended his hand and took hers, bowing slightly to ease the mood. Mina giggled while Makoto turned a whiter shade.

            "The name's Duo Maxwell." – he said. –"And Lita's mother name is?"

            Now Mina snorted and started to laugh. Makoto blushed fiercely. Duo looked crossed.

            "She's my sister, Silly Duo!" – Lita said stomping her tiny feet.

            And Duo's grin couldn't be bigger.

            "My name is Makoto." – she said and he looked at her. He just loved the soft, husky voice she has… and the way she blushed… her green eyes… and so on…

            "Pleased to meet you, Makoto." – he said, placing a kiss on Makoto's hand.


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own GW or SM – and definitely I don't own the rights of My Cherie Amour :: though I wish I could:: and the purpose of this fic is solely for entertaining – so don't sue! **Author's Notes: ** Another confusing – and boring - chapter brought to you by moi! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. And, since I haven't received a lot of suggestions for the title, I guess I'll have to name this fic by myself. But don't worry; I thank Altheia, Dera, Breze and Kawari for their suggestions! THANK YOU! J And I'm still considering your suggestions! Also, … eh… you'll read the lyrics of a very – and I mean **very** – old song. Many of your parents will remember it. But I just learned the lyrics and I found it **so sweet** – you'll see what I mean. And since I know many of you don't know how the song goes, I suggest you read it as if it was a poem  :: no kidding, Gota de Mar! Very clever!… Duh! :: Anyway, hope you like this chapter! Chapter Two 

****

****

**_"Don't forget that the first kiss isn't given with the lips, but with the eyes."_**

**_                                                O.K. Bernhardt_**

 - Tell me what you see… 

_             - I… I see myself… walking through a beautiful garden… I'm happy…_

_             - Why?_

_             - I… I don't know… I can't remember why…_

_             - Sure you can… just focus…you'll see everything there's to see…_

****

Morning came with a glorious glint. 

            The sun rays reaches the ochre-colored soil making it shine like pure melted gold. The wind blew so soft and tender that it was like a lovers whisper. The flowers on the Jupitarian Palace were in full bloom – thanks to the presence of their beloved caretaker.

             - _Tell me what you see…_

_             - I see myself walking through a beautiful garden…a have a flower basket in my hands…_

The young princess of Jupiter moved through a sea of flowers, making them spark full of color and scent. She had inherited her aunt's unique gift with plants and animals – besides her exquisite features and gracefulness.

             - _Today the flowers are even more beautiful and fragrant than ever… the birds are singing gloriously… they are happy, just like I am…_

_             - Why?_

_             - Because…because, today is my birthday… Today I turn sixteen._

            That day held a very special meaning for the young princess. She was filled with a sense of happiness and anticipation that made her giddy as if she just tasted the sweetest and more intoxicating wine of all.

             - _Today I meet my betrothed!_

Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamt with the glorious day she would meet the one she was destined to marry. She would fantasize with her future life as a wife and mother. Those were the things she ever wished for fervently – to have her own family. Maybe she wouldn't be lonely anymore if she has a family of her own…

             - _But you have loving parents…_

_             - I know. But I can't deny that I felt lonely most of the time…_

Both of her parents were very influential people. They were the King and Queen of the Higher Gods, nonetheless. And they were part of the _Silver Alliance_, her aunt Selene, Queen of the Moon, was presiding. 

             - _But they were trying to reunite mortals and gods with the Silver Alliance…They were planning the next great city, Crystal Kingdom…They wanted to help mortals to free themselves from Ares influence._

_             - I know their work was important and that it was directed towards something really valuable, but…but I can't deny that I hated their constant travels and meetings in and out of Jupiter. If it wasn't for my aunt Demeter's constant visits, I just don't know what I would've been of myself._

The only thing that soothed her soul was the thought that she would soon meet her future husband and – she hoped – things would be just fine between them. With him she won't be lonely again, because she would be with him till the end of time. 

            So she's looking forward to meet him. And she so happy and anxious!

             - _I move through the garden, stopping here and there to look closely at my flowers. I was very proud of my garden. It was the most beautiful one of the entire Kingdom – some said, maybe the whole universe. But I don't believe that. And they say that since the most rare kinds of flowers – the more beautiful and fragrant – blooms easily at my care. I had flowers from all over the universe, from Earth, the Moon, Venus… And the birds love to sing on the branches of my Earthian trees. The hummingbirds loved to sip the honeyed taste of my flowers. My father's horses would drink from my crystal clear water fountain. And the small rabbits my aunt Selene gave me, as a birthday gift would hop happily through my garden._

            She was oblivious of the eyes that were looking at her from behind one of her trees. Eyes that were fascinated with the way she would move through her garden with such gracefulness that it looked like she was floating. She moved, leaving behind a new patch full of sparkling flowers and green, fresh grass that grew and brightened near her touch. Her beautiful red hair reached her lower back in soft curls and her rosy complexion looked as soft as clouds. She was wearing a flowery headset and a long, lilac-colored robe with golden embellishments around its round neck and long, vaporous hem.

            He was looking at her with the eyes of a hopeless admirer. A soft smile would reach his handsome face and his eyes would sparkle with just one look at her. Infatuated as he was, hopelessly in love with someone who doesn't know about his feelings, he was in the verge of desperation because today she would be promised to another.

            _"I must tell her today", he thought. "I must tell her that I love her."_

Will she accept him? He was afraid of the possible negative answer to that question. What would he do if she doesn't want him? He didn't want to think about that.

            He hated to do this, but he wanted to make his presence known. His time was running short and he could loose her if he didn't do something. But, somehow, he felt timid and insecure while he stood behind the tree hesitantly, still looking at her. The last time he saw her, things didn't went well between them. They parted ways in not so friendly terms… he hurt her then. And now he was afraid of her reaction to his declaration of love. 

            _"But I won't give up."_

There was something that surely would catch her attention…

            _I was walking through my garden… when I hear the sweetest melody… It seem to float around me and envelope me with such warmth… I knew who it was and I smiled, contented, anxious. I turned and I looked about me. Not so far away, behind a tree, I got a glimpse of his golden robe… he was playing his flute…I smiled again and moved to be near him. It's been so long since I last saw him…_

_            "Hello!" – I said. – "It's been so long…"_

_            He looks at me and says…_

            "I'm hungry, Mommy. Wake UP!"

            She sprang up, eyes wild and hair disheveled. Lita is jumping on her bed, still clad in her PJ's. 

            "Stop jumping on my bed!" – she said. –"I'm awake already!"

            Just then, the most heinous sound rings, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

            "Damn clock!" – she said, hitting the off-bottom.

            "I'M HUNGRY!"

            "Yeah, I know. Let's get you ready for school, ok?"

            "I don't wanna go to school today…" – Lita says, pouting at her big sister with determination in her eyes.

            "Yes, you **are** going to school today. And stop jumping on my bed!!"

            Every day is the same thing for her.

            Her clock is set to ring at 5 A.M – and she still doesn't know how Lita is always the one who wakes her.  Every morning she has to convince Lita to go to school, while she starts baking and preparing the menu of the day. She has to endure Mina's whining and Amy's scolding when they arrive to work.  She has to make Lita's breakfast and take her to school in a mad dash. Then come running back to continue the preparations for a new day at work. 

            Every single morning, she argues with the old owner of the grocery store where she buys Lita's daily supply of milk and fruits. And, also, she has to put up with the butcher of named store who's always flirting with her. Then, she returns to her café and has to hear Amy complain about Mina's laziness… and Mina complain about Amy's constant scolding, while people starts coming for coffee and some pastries. 

Lunch hour is pure madness when her friend Amara and Michelle helps her on her deliveries. And, in the afternoons, Amy usually leaves early so she could go to College. Which leaves Makoto with Mina and her non-stop gossip mode. Sometimes her friend Raye Hino, the nurse on Lita's school, would come and help, but not every day. 

Every other day she goes to her karate classes or would go to the movies with her friends and little sister. But, usually, she doesn't have too much time to do anything and she often ends exhausted by the time the clock clicks 7 P.M.

            And that's how she lives most of her days… until she met Duo.

            Those weeks after they met went on smoothly for both of them.

            Duo started to go to the café more often, using Lita as an excuse to see Makoto. The young girl rejoiced on his presence and she even started to call him '_her boyfriend'_.

            But Duo's attention was solely on Makoto. 

He could sit on one of the stools in front of the counter of the café, just to look at her. A small smile always grazed his lips while he watched all of her movements and the way she treated people. She was so kind-hearted and warm that his heart seemed to soar just to think of her, or it could stop momentarily with just a sniff of her perfume… or the sound of her voice…

            He didn't know how it happened, but sometimes he finds that his mind is drifting to her at the most inconvenient of times – say at work or driving. And the thing is, that it looks like **anything** brings her image to his mind. 

Sometimes the color green on the plants he finds on his way to work, reminds him of her eyes.  In other times, the soft and warm scent of a perfume that has a flowery note like the one she uses makes his mind run wild with the memory of her voice and laughter. His heart even ceased to beat momentarily one time, when he was going to work, and found a young woman with auburn hair just like hers getting inside the Preventers Headquarters ahead of him.

After that incident he had to **think** on what's going on with him… and what he found didn't pleased him one bit.

            He doesn't want to admit it, but his heart just knows that he's falling for her… and really hard…

            He is reluctant to engage himself in any romantic relationship… Not when Hilde's decision to _'give some free time to one another, and see what is out there'_ is still fresh in his mind and still hurts him. 

            Hilde's decision surprised him beyond words. He was about to propose to her, when she interrupted him and told him that they needed to part ways. Things have changed so much after the war that their relationship wasn't the same, but he never thought that she actually would want to **leave** him. 

Or, maybe, he didn't want to see it… 

When war ruled most of his days and thoughts, his emotions were heightened to the point where all of his actions were controlled by passion. Call it natural instincts, but – unconsciously – he was looking to survive and to carry on, to experience love, sadness and everything a '_normal life_' has to offer. He thought that he found that on Hilde; that she was the **one**.  The one with whom he could experience that love he was looking for. But it seems he was wrong. 

Maybe, their relationship wasn't meant to last that long… Because now, when he has so much time to share with her, things aren't like they used to be. It's not that he stopped loving her altogether – he still cares for her very much. But he has mixed feelings towards her, especially after she hurt him with her decision.  Now he's afraid of engaging in any romantic relationship. 

Although, unconsciously, he's considering one with Makoto…

Another smile grazed his lips… just the thought of having Makoto all for himself warmed his heart and filled his mind with too many ideas and dreams. Somehow, she surpassed the limits of plain male fantasies and became a dream for him. Something that kept him wide awake at night and stole his thoughts anytime during the day. 

_What am I thinking?_, he stopped himself dead in his tracks, _I still care for Hilde…_

He just can't forget a love so special as the one he had for Hilde – at least not as fast as he may want it to happen… it's nearly a mission impossible … and it's true that he still cares for her… but something funny is happening…

He's finding his hurt receding and his desire to see Makoto growing at a pace that are both surprising and frightening at the same time. And he's confused... It's not a common thing to see Duo Maxwell so confused – and I mean **really** confused.

Even Wufei noticed the change in him…

"Maxwell must be sick or something, because he hadn't call me Wu-man today…" – commented the Chinese young man one day when he was doing some paper work on his office. 

Heero Yuy was in the same office, typing away like Speedy González in his desktop. He didn't even look up from his paper work to know that the Chinese young man was stunned. He noticed it on his tone of voice and also on the fact that he voiced something that he's been noting lately. 

_"Hi, Wu-man…!"_ – said Duo, waving joyfully at the Chinese young man.

"I'll take back my words now…" – muttered Wufei, fuming. 

             But still, there was something '_out of place_' with him… He wasn't as cheerful as usual. He seemed to spend more and more time in deep thought… or on Fool's Land. And he has become more distracted than usual.

            _"I heard that Duo is spending a lot of time with a new girl."  _- Lucreazia Noin commented one day to her friend Sally Po while they were at a restaurant having lunch.

            _"Yeah, Wufei said that he couldn't stop bragging on this child his friend has…"_ – Sally said, laughing softly. 

_            "A child?_" – she cocked an eyebrow. –"_Just how old is this **friend**?"_

_            "I don't know, Noin. I haven't seen her and, to tell you the truth, I guess not even the guys have met her."_

_            "It'll be nice to meet her - I mean, I'm curious. I thought Duo wouldn't make it after he broke up with Hilde. This girl – with or without child – must be very special."_

            Sally smiled when an idea struck her like lighting.

_            "I guess we could talk Quatre into a get together, or something, so we could meet her…"_

_            "That's a good idea, Sally!"_

_            "Though…" _ - the sandy blonde woman said with a somber expression on her face. – _"I wonder what would happen once Duo's duty on Earth finishes. What he would do – I mean, if he really gets so attached to them…"_

_            "I know what you mean, Sally. That'll be devastating…"_

            He, too, knows that it will be devastating… so he doesn't want to get involved into a romantic relationship with her.

            But he doesn't know that he's hurting Makoto's feelings with his reluctance. 

            "_He hadn't ask you out?_" – asked Raye Hino that afternoon, while sipping her cup of green tea at Makoto's café.

            Makoto turned different shades of red when all of the attentions of her best friends were cast upon her. Thank God her café wasn't too crowded right at that moment! Even Amy – the usually calm and sensible one of the group – looked surprised at this confession.

            "_But he looks like he's head over heels for you!_" – Amy said, unable to hold her surprise.

            If it was still possible for Makoto to turn even redder, she could have done so. Her ears were ringing and she swallowed hard.

            "_It's not like that!_" – she protested, deeply embarrassed. – "_We're just **friends**, that's all. Can't we just be friends?"_

Mina snorted. "_Not with a hunk like him._" – she bluntly said.  –"_I mean; the guy spends his visits just **looking** at you, Makoto. Don't you think we didn't notice it? He seems to have his eyes glued on you whenever his here…_"

            Even Amy had to nod at that. It was pretty obvious that the braided boy seems to love to look at her. And they also noticed the funny little grin his lips wore whenever he did so. Why Makoto haven't noticed it?

            Who knows? Maybe she did and since he hasn't asked her out, she's looking for an excuse on behalf of his actions.

            "_It's so sad!_" – Mina said, shaking her head and voicing out loud just what the rest of the girls were thinking. She put an arm around Makoto's shoulders and shook her head once more. –"_What a shame…_"

            "_Mina!_" – Amy said when she noticed Makoto's eyes turn hazy.

            "_What?_"

            Makoto tried to be gentle when she brushed off Mina's arm of her shoulder, but the hurt that was gnawing at her made it impossible. She muttered something about '_preparing tomorrow's menu_' when she turned and disappeared through the door to the kitchen. She faintly heard Raye admonish Mina and compare her with a young kid – which Mina didn't like.

            She left behind the bickering that would surely ensue. She was hurt, but not with the comments her friends said, but with the fact they were true. It's been something she's been trying to ignore. But she can't ignore it no longer.

            She thought that he was feeling the same things she was feeling – though she doesn't know why he would do it. He hadn't said something to make his feelings known. But those smiles… and how he keeps looking at her. Oh, yes, she has noticed it. Even if she wasn't looking at him or had her back facing him, she would just know when he was looking at her. His eyes have that delicious ability to make her skin tingle and become warm whenever they were placed on her.  She didn't have to turn and look at him to know that he was following her movements, because she knows he's the only one capable of such a reaction on her. And she loved it! She loved to feel admired by his eyes, to seem pleasing to him. It really made her feel beautiful…

            Then why he hadn't asked her out?

            A warm tear rolled down her cheek without her noticing it. She heard a rumble behind her and turned just in time to see Lita storming into the kitchen; Luna tightly held to her chest. 

            "Park!  Park!" – she announced happily.

            Makoto smiled down at her. 

            Lita frowned. "You crying!" – she said, pouting. She moved to be closer to her big sister and took her hand in her tiny one. – "Why?" – she asked, looking as though she would start crying too.

            Makoto put on a fake smile on her lips and wiped her tear swiftly with the back of her free hand. "I'm not crying. Sweetie. See?"

            Lita scowled and pursed her lips as if saying '_I'm not stupid, y'know!_'

            "Then why you have tears in your eyes?"

            "I don't, Lita. Now go and pick up your things for the park, ok?"

            For a moment, Lita just stood there, looking up to her sister as if daring her to say what's wrong with her. Although Lita already knows the reason why her sister is so sad. _It must be Duo_, she thought. And she was so angry with him then. How he dares make Mako sad?! 

            "Don't you wanna go to the park today?" – Makoto asked her.

            Lita nodded and turned to go fetch her things.

            Just when Lita disappeared from her sight did Makoto slumped to a chair and let her face acquire the somber expression her heart was exuding.

            "Are you going to see your friend?" – Quatre, who just came to pay a visit to his former comrades, asked. He was on Earth on a business trip and decided to see how things were going for them on their post on Earth. He was received by two very anxious women, who told him about Duo's new '_friend_' and – actually – '_suggested_' a get together to see if they can meet this new girl.

            Duo turned pale and went stiff when he heard Quatre mention Makoto.

            "Who told you a have a friend here?" – he asked suspiciously, unable to sound casual. His indigo eyes narrowed and his fists clenched unconsciously. If Quatre already knows about Makoto, then **everybody** must know about her, which means they must be gossiping about them.

            "Eh…" – Quatre babbled, noticing Duo's mood. –"I guess it was… eh… Wufei?"

            Duo knew he was acting way too rude when Quatre actually stuttered. He relaxed his body and took a deep breath in. His usual lop-sided grin appeared and he scratched his head, starting to laugh foolishly.

            "I'm sorry, man. I guess I'm stressed."- Duo said.

            Quatre smiled sympathetically to him. "I know what you mean." – he said. 

            Now Quatre was curious. What's so special about this girl when Duo, actually, doesn't want to talk too much about her? He's acting way too protective, as if he wanted to keep his relation with her a secret. Usually, Duo would brag about the new '_hot chick_' he just met. But it seems that's not the case with this girl – although he **does** brag about her… and her cooking… and her little sister… although he does it in a different way.

            _There's something funny going on here_, Quatre thought. _Now, I really want to meet this girl._

"Hey, Duo. Why don't you bring her to my house tonight? I'm planning a get-together…"

            "Bring whom?" – Duo acted as if he didn't know. The way he narrowed his eyes at Quatre told the Arabian a whole different story: Duo was well aware of **whom** Quatre was talking about. This was enough to make the blonde man very cautious.

            "Eh… your friend…I guess…"

            Duo, again, noticed how rude he must be acting and tried to sound casual. "I… don't know if… if she would want to go…Y'know? She has a café and takes care of her little sister…"

            "Tell her to bring her sister, too. I would like to meet her." – Quatre smiled.

            But Duo didn't want to comply. "Eh… I'll see what I can do…" – he said without looking at Quatre. He turned and nearly started running down the long hall of the Preventer's Headquarters. He still has two more hours of duty to call his day off. And he all but ran over Trowa, who just came out of the male lockers, freshly bathed and carrying a heavy shoulder bag.

            Quatre came to stand beside Trowa and looked at Duo with a wide grin on his face. "I guess he found the right one this time…" – he commented.

            Trowa looked at Quatre. "What makes you think that?" – he asked on his deep but nearly devoid of inflection, voice.

            "Ah! Don't you see? He's already changed! He's not the usual Duo Maxwell we came to know…"

            Trowa looked back to where Duo just stomped on his fleeting, his verdant eyes narrowing slightly…

            Just when Makoto was about to leave for the park with Lita, one of her suppliers came with her weekly delivery of flour. She had to stay and check that everything was in order – and though she knows that Amy is capable of doing such task, she welcomed the distraction so she could forget about her frustration with Duo.

            Lita ran in and out of the café, trying to help with the heavy bags of flour, while Makoto stood at the door, talking to one of the deliverers. 

            Both girls were completely oblivious of pair of eyes that were looking at them from the other side of the street. 

            A sweet song was floating in the air. Probably one of their neighbors was hearing the radio…

            He surely was lucky today…

            Usually, he has to wait for her to come out of the café. But it seems luck is in his side this day. 

He just parked his motorcycle in his – now – usual lot, and he was walking down the dark, stinky alley to stop in his – now – usual spot when he heard her laugh. He quickly moved to stand against the sticky wall of the alley, making sure that she didn't see him – though he can't understand why he would do so. He suddenly felt like a stalker when he noticed what he was doing. But he couldn't help it.

She was standing at the entrance of her café, laughing at Lita who was full of flour. Her laugh was like the tinkle of bells, sweet and merry. She was wearing a light set of Capri pants and a t-shirt. Her auburn hair was held high in a ponytail. She had a big, heavy looking book under one arm and was telling Lita to go up and change her clothes.

Somehow, just to see her… to have the luck of seeing her without waiting for her to come out was like winning the lottery for him. He felt warm inside and basked in on the sight of her… When he heard a squeal that nearly made him jump out of his skin…

He looked up, at a window on the opposite wall of where he was standing and saw a young girl swinging side to side, ever so softly, to the beat of a lovely melody…

"_La la la la la la, La la la la la la…**"**_ – the girl was singing.

Suddenly, the girl brought up a brush and started singing as if she was standing in front of an audience.

"_My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day_

_My cherie amour, distant as the milky way_…"

_Oh, it's that song again_, he thought. It seems it's the new hit on the radio, because he hears it every day. And though he didn't particularly likes the song, he was amused with the girl's performance. She was now dancing, brush in front of her mouth while singing and swinging her arms theatrically.

He looked back at the café to find Makoto positioning a small backpack over her shoulder while Lita waved goodbye to the deliverers. 

"Come on, Lita." – he heard Makoto say, extending one hand to her little sister. Lita turned and grabbed her hand.

He just knows where are they going and he followed silently while the song floated around him.

_My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore_

_You're the only girl my heart beats for_

_How I wish that you were mine._

Makoto and Lita where heading to the nearest park. Lita was hopping excitedly beside Makoto, her beloved toy pressed firmly to her chest while her curly pigtails bounce about her small face. 

He was following them, though they were nearly walking side by side. He was walking on the opposite sidewalk, throwing side-glances at them. And he just loved Makoto's contented expression. She looked so carefree and happy…

A black man came out of a bakery with a broom and started to sweep the floor in front of his establishment while singing…

"In a café, or sometimes in a crowded street 

_I've been near you, but you never noticed me**."**_

It was funny… He doesn't want to admit it, but he's falling in love with her.  And just the thought brought a smile of amusement to his face. He surely could spend most of his day just thinking about her, waiting for the moment he can come to see her. It was so new to him what he was experiencing, so different from anything he'd known before that this surely must be love.

Her memory was engraved in his mind ever since he first saw her… And it was kind of funny how she didn't know a thing about him, because they hadn't been introduced properly. But he followed her that day, silently, as he usually does his things.

He learned that she has a small café and that she's the guardian of her little sister. He also learned that she lives on the second floor of the building where she has her establishment and that her best friends are those who work for her, Mina and Amy.

And he learned that Duo was lurking her like a hawk to its prey, as well.

He didn't like that.

A red light stopped Makoto and Lita's course to the park momentarily. Makoto took the opportunity to bend and place the small backpack on Lita's shoulders. She straightened and looked up to the heavens, a little smile on her lips. The sun gave her hair a peachy tint and her skin looked flawlessly rosy, just like porcelain, under its warm rays.

Another smile crept its way to his lips…

My cherie amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore 

_That behind that little smile I wore_

_How I wished that you were mine._

It was kind of ironic to be falling in love with someone who doesn't know even who you are. And, who knows? Maybe it's not love, per se, but admiration, though his admiration is reaching the borders of obsession. He's come to a point were he can't spend a day without seeing her…

Does that counts as love?

He doesn't know… and surely he doesn't know nor understand why he's following her. It seems his feet have a mind of his own and that his mind can no longer reason whenever she's brought to his memory.

He's not sure of the moment when he started to officially stalk her – as wrong as that may sound. But he couldn't help it.  He felt like he was looking for something within her. As if she held an answer for some question he'd made and can't remember when he made it or doesn't understand it.

Besides, he hadn't come up with the nerve to go and introduce himself to her.

Every time he sees her, his chest fills up with warmth… and then, a pang of something resembling anger hits him. Why she angers him? Or is it something else, instead of anger?

They reached the park and he slowed his steps in order to keep he's presence low profile. He already knows the exact spot where she uses to sit and watch her sister play at the jungle gym. It's a tall oak tree that's not too far away from the playground where the little girl runs and jumps happily while greeting friends and making new ones. That little girl amuses him with her cheerfulness.

Makoto is seating, cross-legged, under the tree. Her big, heavy looking book placed between her crossed legs. She has a little notepad in one hand while she seems to be studying the large book. She often lifts her head and looks at the playground.

"Be careful there, Lita!" – he hears her.

"Yup!" – Lita answers, running to a slide, her curly pigtails flying behind her.

Makoto looks down to her book with a contented smile on her face.

He's not too far from her. 

Where he is, he doesn't have to strain his ear to hear her. In fact, he's just a couple of feet away from her, seating on a bench with his face hidden behind a newspaper. Why is he doing that? Don't ask, because even he doesn't know why.

He's analyzing her, trying to figure out what's so special about her. He's scrutinizing her features. And he's a little crossed as to how much she looks like him. Why, she looks more like his sister – even more than Catherine! Her hair color is pretty much like his– though hers is a little more reddish and wavy. She has fairer skin, too. And she's tall and lithe as he is.  

But that's just the general charm of her beauty. He came to know that her real beauty lies on that air of serenity she always carries and the way she smiles at others. 

Just for a moment – nearly unconsciously – he wonders what it would be like to have her smile at him… and only him. To have her attention centered on him solely.

His eyes soften with the thought and a gentle, nearly imperceptible, smile grazes his lips. He's filling with warmth again… and then, that feeling resembling anger soon will come. Especially when he remembers that Duo is the one who has her smiles and her attention, and that the young man would be joining them in an hour or so.

"Look what I've got!" – he hears behind him.

A girl squeals excitedly…

"I **love **that song! La la la la la la, La la la la la la…"

_Oh, no. Not again! Is this song following me today or what?_ – he thought.

It seems one of the girls had a portable radio with her, because he soon was hearing the damn song for a second time – in less than an hour.

The difference in this occasion was that he paid attention to the lyrics – why he did it? Don't ask; even he doesn't know why.

My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day 

Somehow, he felt that sounds true when he looked at Makoto…

My cherie amour, distant as the Milky Way 

            Well, she surely is distant if she doesn't know who he is…

My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore 

_You're the only girl my heart beats for_

_How I wish that you were mine._

            Makoto frowns slightly and presses her cherry lips into a tight line. She looks stressed, uncomfortable.

            Does she feel him staring at her?

In a café or sometimes in a crowded street I've been near you, but you never noticed me 

            Oh, that one also sounds true! Although now…

My cherie amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore 

_That behind that little smile I wore_

_How I wish that you were mine._

            Does he really wish that? Is that why he feels… frustrated… whenever he thinks of Duo constantly around her?

            She raises her head and looks about her. Her green eyes landed on him and she narrows them suspiciously just when he – unconsciously – tightens his grip on his newspaper. He lifts it a little higher and tried to look calm. She surely is affecting him when she actually makes him nervous. 

Maybe someday, you'll see my face among the crowd 

            Suddenly, he hears a rumble at the playground and his attention is caught momentarily. Two boys are fighting over a ball – none of them seems to want to free it. They are pulling and pushing and yelling at one another…

            Someone stood before him, towering. This person clears his/her throat and yanks the newspaper from his hands.

Maybe someday, I'll share your little distant cloud 

            "I knew it was you!" – the person says.

            His eyes scanned up, noticing how this person puts her long and slender hands on her hips. And he knew it was a '_she_' not just for her well rounded hips or pink polish on her nails, but for the lump that formed in his throat which told him who this person _actually_ is. He swallows when he takes notice of her small waist, generous bosom and graceful neck. He felt giddy before he reached her face. He never noticed when he held his breath, and he had to blink in order to see her lovely face better. His heart was beating faster by the second…

            _What the hell is going on with me?!_

            He was face to face with Miss Makoto… and she's smiling down at him! And he's paralyzed, because she caught him on his stalking!

Oh, Cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore 

_You're the only girl my heart beats for_

_How I wish that you were mine.****_

            _At least the song ended!_

"You've been following me!"

            He didn't know what to say – though she sounded anything but angry. She was smiling at him and had her big, heavy book under her arm while her pencil was placed behind her right ear. When she looked at his face, her smile widened and her eyes sparkled with recognition.

            "You're that guy I bumped into the other day, don't you?!" – she asked.

            He just nodded.

            She arched a graceful eyebrow and shrugged, signaling with the gesture the space beside him on the bench.

            "Mind if I sit by you?" – she asked.

            He blinked.

            She giggled while she sat beside him. Trowa, unconsciously, went stiff and held his breath.

            "I was worried." – she was saying. –"I thought you were some kind of weirdo and…" – she looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. –"You're not a weirdo, aren't you?"

            He just had to chuckle at that.

            "Not that I know…" – he said, still chuckling softly and closing his eyes.

            She tilts her head and furrows her eyebrows.

            "Oh… ok, then." - she smiled.

            "But I'm a very dangerous man…"

            She did a double take on him. "Oh… WHAT?" – she asked, raising her hand in an attempt to cover herself while she slide to the far end of the bench.

            He chuckled again and pointed a long, callused finger to the left breast of his black and sea green jacket. Makoto's widened green eyes followed the direction his finger showed. Her expression was one of worry, but soon curiosity won and she noticed the name on his breast.

            "Barton…" - she whispered.

            Then, her eyes noticed the insignia on his arm.

            "A Preventer." – she said – "You're a Preventer?"

            "Yes."

            She smiled brightly at him. "I know someone who's a Preventer, too!" – she said excitedly. –"Maybe you know who he is…"

            Trowa's insides turned to stone. _Oh, sure I know who he is_, he thought bitterly.

            "His name is Duo Maxwell." – she said, smiling at him. Trowa thought he heard some distinct, soft intonation when she said his name. – "Do you know him?"

            Trowa nodded once. "We work together." – he said, unable to stop the muscles around his jaw to tense.

            "You do?! That's nice!" – she extended her hand at him. –"My name's Makoto. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Barton…"

            "Trowa…"

            "Huh?"

            "My name. Is Trowa."

            She raised her eyebrows and smiles at him. "Oh!" – then she giggles. – "Trowa…" – she repeated, smiling at him.

            He liked the way his name sounded coming from her lips.

            He took her hand in his bigger, capable one and squeezed it gently, instead of the usual shake. She blinked and looked stunned for a moment, but she smiled at him again.

            He took notice of how soft and warm her hands are. She has the kind of hands that have long, elegant fingers, but with puffy in the pads like baby's hands. Her skin was warm and comforting.

            He didn't release her hand soon after his curious "handshake". And she didn't seem to mind at all. An aura of peacefulness enveloped her and seemed to reach out and cover him. He felt calm and contented with just being near her and have her hand between his. 

            "Mako! Mako!"

            Makoto blinked and retrieved her hand, looking forward to smile at her little sister. Her green eyes sparkled like two stars in a midnight sky.

            "Yes, Sweetie…"

            Lita came running to her when she heard her voice, her arms outstretched and a big smile on her face. Makoto noticed she had her face smudged with mud.

            "What were you doing, Lita?" – she asked, picking the excited little girl and seating her on her lap. –"You've got yourself dirty!"

            Lita giggled and swung her legs, full of enthusiasm.

            "Lookie!" – she showed Makoto a handful of semi-crushed wildflowers. – "For you!"

            "No. I'm not gonna buy it this time, Lita. You went hunting for butterflies again…" – Makoto said, looking inside her pockets and then, Lita's backpack. –"I told you not to go hunting for butterflies… where are my Kleenex?!"

            "Here." – Trowa said, producing a handkerchief.

            "Oh, thanks." – she said, smiling. – "But it'll get soiled."

            "Don't worry…"

             She took the handkerchief and their hands lingered for a second. Makoto cleared her throat. "I'll wash it, ok?" 

            He nodded, looking intensely at her without knowing. She didn't know that he was looking forward to see her again. She blushed and smiled sheepishly.

            Lita, finally acknowledging him, looked over her shoulder and saw Trowa. The little girl narrowed her eyes at him, while Makoto damped the handkerchief with her tongue and started to wipe her face.

            "Who's he, Mako?" – Lita asked throwing a side-glance at him, since Makoto kept pulling her face.

            "A friend… look at me and stand still!"

            Lita scowled and stood still until Makoto finished cleansing her face. Then, she threw herself at her sister and hugged her tightly by the throat, her flowers getting even more crushed between her and Makoto. She looked at Trowa, with narrowed verdant eyes and a deep frown on her face.

            For a moment, Trowa didn't know what to do. He's never been the kind of person who tries to win someone's approval. Frankly, he doesn't give a damn if he wins or not someone's approval. But with Lita's fierce gaze on him – and the fact that she's Makoto's little sister – made him **very **uncomfortable.

            "She has a boyfriend, y'know?!" – Lita blurted out.

            Trowa blinked and snapped his head to his left to looked at the girl.

            Makoto's eyes widened.

            The atmosphere turned tense for a moment. Trowa felt uneasy and had his stomach churning on a pool of acid when his mind registered that this '_boyfriend_' was no other than Duo. Lita's eyes were fixed on him, daring and with such fierceness, that he thought he was looking at an adult instead of a young girl.  Soon the anger receded and uneasiness won. She managed to give him the creeps when he saw that look on her eyes. She certainly didn't look like a kid then. She reminded him of…

            _Who?_

Now, he was also confused.

            But Makoto lightened the mood when she laughed. "Now Duo's my boyfriend?" – she asked with laughter dancing in her eyes.

            Lita's eyes softened and she looked up to her sister's smiling face.

            "I thought he was **your** boyfriend, not mine." – Makoto finished laughing softly.

            Lita giggled. "I'll lend him to you!" – she said.

            Makoto laughed.

            Trowa couldn't be a part of the joyful moment. His insides were hard like stone and he set his jaw to endure the bitter taste that filled his mouth.

            "Now, be a good girl and tell the young man what's your name, ok?"

            Lita nodded. "My name is Lita Kino and I'm " – she took one hand and forced her thumb and pink to flex, forming the three sign and she joyfully showed her chubby hand at him –" And I'm three years old!"

            Trowa nodded. "My name is Trowa." – he said, failing to sound cheerful.

            Lita frowned and took one flower she still has on her lap. She raises it to him and… suddenly… something quite magical happened.

            Lita's flower, which had its stem broken and its petals were starting to wilt, sparked full of color. Its broken stem became a steady one, supporting with pride its lush petals.

            Trowa blinked. His heart started to race full speed in his chest…

            He looked back at Lita's face and – for a moment – the little girl's face was replaced for that of a young woman with bright green eyes and fiery red hair. She had on a lovely headdress of flowers and a lilac robe.

            His heart beats faster and his sight blurred. He had to close his eyes for a moment and breath in deeply.

            _I love you… love you… love you_, a female voice whispered to him like a long forgotten memory.

            "Don't be sad…" – Lita voice brought him back from his reverie.

            The little girl placed a hand over his and giggled. "You're funny!" – she said turning and crawling over his thighs. She kneeled over his lap and took his face between her small hands with a serious expression on her face. She placed her palms on his temples and looked deep into his eyes, smiling at him. –"You won't make Mommy sad…" – she whispered and it sounded more like an order than a question.

            Trowa blinked, confused. Again, he felt uneasy and his sight filled with bright patches that blinded him for a second.

            Makoto flushed in embarrassment. 

            "Lita!" – she admonished.

            "Because Duo makes Mommy sad…" – Lita continued.

            "Lita!"

            Trowa frowned slightly.

            "Duo?" – he asked, a little confused. –"He makes your mother sad?"

            Lita nodded.

            "Uh-huh. He makes Mako cry! He doesn't want to take her out!"

            "Oh, God!" – Makoto said, hiding her face behind her hands. – "Please, Earth, swallow me!"

            Trowa took a guess there…

            "I believe Makoto is your '_mother_'" – he said.

            Lita frowned and shook her head.

            "No, she's my big sis…"

            "Lita!"

            Now Trowa frowned.

            "… But I call her '_Mommy'_"

            "Shut up!"

            "Oh…" – Trowa whispered.

            "He hadn't ask her out and she's sad…"

            "Oh, boy! Lita, shut up, please!" – Makoto said, red as a beet.

            It was Trowa's turn to turn red.

            "Would you ask her out?" – Lita asked.

            Trowa's cheek flushed crimson. Never in his life did he imagine something like this would happen to him! His ears were warm and he didn't dare glance at Makoto.

            And speaking of Makoto, the older girl stood and grabbed the younger one from Trowa's lap. She didn't look at him, but he saw that she was flushed. Somehow, he found that charming…

            "That's enough, Lita. We're going home, **now**!"

            "But we just got here! And why, Mommy? I didn't do something wrong…"

            Makoto cleared her throat and took a quick side-glance at Trowa and found him smiling at her. She flushed even more, embarrassed.

            "Good bye, Mr. Barton" – she said in a rush, taking Lita's hand in her and starting to walk hurriedly. –"See you soon!" – she called back.

            Trowa found himself standing up and following her with long strides. She was all but running out of the park. He had to jog in order to catch up to her. Lita was bouncing beside her, nearly running on the tip of her toes to be able to keep up.

            "I'll do it" – he said.

            "You do?" – Lita asked.

            Makoto looked at him, her eyes wide and her skin pale. She never stopped or slowed her steps.

            "Do what?" – she asked, cautious.

            Trowa looked deep into Makoto's eyes…

            "I'll ask you out…" – he said and made it sound so casual that Makoto raised her eyebrows and looked at him with her mouth wide open.

            "YAY!" – Lita rejoiced, jumping on the balls of her feet and clapping.

            Makoto paled for a moment. Trowa saw her press her lips and look down, her cheeks turning crimson once more. And he didn't know if it was out of embarrassment or pride, but…

            "No." – she said flatly, and she stopped momentarily, looking at him straight in the eye. –"I'm sorry my sister made you believe that…"

            "I don't mind" – he said, and his monotone voice seemed to make things worse.

            Not only did Makoto was embarrassed, but now she was offended. His voice made things sound as if he didn't mind how humiliating the scene was for her. It looked like he was feeling sorry for her and was accepting to do her a favor as if she was a dying virginal girl… the whole thing just vexed her!

            "Well, then, sir, I **do **mind. I'm not asking you any favors so don't try to do any for me. I'm very capable of finding my own dates. If you excuse me…"

            "My friend is planning a get-together and we…"

            "**No_thank_ you**!"

            She started to get out of the park, but this time it was Trowa who stopped her. He grabbed her by the arm and she whirled, furious, just to smack her nose on his chest.

            "Ow!" – she said, bringing a hand to her nose.

            "I'm sorry…" – he said, his voice tickling her forehead.

            She looked up and saw herself reflected inside eyes that have a very similar color to her own. She noticed how handsome he was. 

His eyes were big, but held certain degree of melancholy inside of them, as if he's seem and went through many sad things. Those eyes made her feel sympathy towards him. But that sympathy was replaced with nervousness when his eyes seem to open up and enlarge as if he was trying to take her inside of him, memorize her every detail. 

She looked down, flustered, and her long eyelashes fluttered gracefully to her cheeks.

            The rest of his features were just as stunning as his eyes. She got a glimpse of his long, strong nose that slants a little bit at the end, his generous lips, and his strong body. He was well-built, looking as if he was capable to protect her from any harm with just encircling her in his strong arms. That made her feel small and fragile…and he's also taller than her!

            _But he isn't Duo_, she thought, crash landing on the land of the living. How much she wished it were Duo the one in front of her, instead of this young, attractive man. But it seems Duo isn't interested in her - at least, not romantically. 

            She cleared her throat and tried to move away. But this young man seemed unable to give up. He held her arm and said…

            "I'm not asking because I want to do you a favor." – he said and his voice was deep and his warm breath brushed her forehead for a second time that day.

            She looked up and met his eyes. His expression softened somehow…

- _… Not so far away, behind a tree, a got a glimpse of his golden robe… he was playing his flute… It's been so long since I last saw him…_

Makoto blinked…

"I'm asking you because I would like to know you, to be near you…" – he whispered.

Lita frowned, confused, and looked from Makoto to Trowa, then from Trowa to Makoto.

Makoto was about to answer him when…

"Oh, yeah, Trowa?" – Duo's husky voice reverberated.

Makoto turned and looked at a very angry Duo Maxwell. The braided young man was

scowling fiercely – a straightforward promise of murder if Trowa got nearer to Makoto. His indigo eyes darkened and then narrowed threateningly at the other young man, and his jaw tensed, setting his lips into a straight line. He crossed his arms over his chest and shot a glare towards Trowa…

            "So you wanna go out with **my girl**?" – Duo asked.

A.N. 2 ~ This format sucks!

****


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I own neither GW nor SM. 

July 29, 2002:  Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday, dear… eh, Gota de Mar. Happy birthday to me!! ^_^

**Author's Notes: **Just a little something so you don't forget – too much :: blushes ^_^ ::  - about this story.  

Chapter Three 

            "They are near her… I can feel it, Jupiter. They are going to find her soon…" – Demeter said with apprehension clearly showing on her face.

            Jupiter frowned, trying to look serious as the King of the Higher Gods should look on situations like this one, but his façade flickered. He can't deny he's worried.

            "Hope the girls can keep her safe as they said." – he stated, deep in thought. His mind was running wild with memories of the inevitable effects his daughter's capture would have on the world.

            It happened once… 

            He certainly doesn't want it to happen again.

            "What I **do **hope is that their plan work, **really **work." – Aphrodite said disdainfully, lounging in her divan and combing her golden curls lazily.

            Selene, who was looking at the fountain in the middle of the Observatory Chamber, frowned and turned to look at her.

            "They won't fail." – Selene said. –"They have never done it."

            Aphrodite snorted and glanced at her sister, smirking.

            "Sure," – she purred sarcastically. –"Tell me, how many Crystal Kingdoms, Tokyo's or whatever you call it, they failed to erect? I just forgot."

            Selene scowled and clenched her tiny fists.

            "They are young…!" – she started with firmness and dignity.

            Aphrodite snarled. "And aren't perfect, sis." – she said, smirking self-righteously.

            Selene growled and was about to retort when Jupiter shouted.

            "That's enough, you two!" – he said, raising a hand at them. – "Sometimes, you are worst than Juno and Demeter." – he muttered miserably.

            Selene sighed and turned her back on everybody, her clear violet eyes landing on the crystalline waters of the fountain… _I still believe she has something to do with the last time the Messengers nearly got Lita_ – Selene thought, frowning once more.

            She's no fool. She knows Aphrodite has something to do with it, and her deviant manners were confirming Selene's suspicions.

            Still, she hadn't found the right moment to corner her younger sister. Time moves at a different pace in the Astral Dimension. For the people on the Mortal World, it's been years since "Lita" died – the young Lita who was trying to help that younger child who now holds Shinigami's soul.

            In the Astral Dimension, however, it's been only a couple of minutes since the girls finally left, just after they explained their plans to the Higher God's.

 _A very risky plan_, Selene thought.

In the beginning, the Queen of the Moon wasn't too thrilled with the Princesses' plans to protect the young Princess of Jupiter. She found it too risky. But if the formerly know goddess Athena found it a good idea, then who's she to say something against it? Athena – or Haruka, as she's known now – always excelled on planning strategies for battle. And if her wits were combined with Ami's to smooth the plan even more, then there wasn't a real, reasonable, reason to disregard their work.

Still, she can't shake the feeling… _something bad was about to happen._

            Selene felt tired and a little dizzy. She had to place her hand on the border of the fountain to keep from falling. The feeling that washed over her was unpleasant… her heart fluttered in her chest with apprehension.

            Maybe it was her maternal instincts kicking in, since her child was down there, playing a very risky role on the girl's plans. She was too near the Messenger's target… and they can confuse her with Lita… although, **that's **the plan. It would buy them some time to take the Jupitarian Princess and move her out of the Messenger's reach.

            _It's too risky_ – Selene thought, feeling dizzy once more.

            Ever since she learned Hades was stranded on the Mortal World with his Messengers, the whole situation became downright dangerous since the Underworld God must be rightfully pissed. The failure of Shinigami must have brought him out of the Underworld to try and finish his younger Messenger's task. That in it must have angered him, but to find himself trapped in the Mortal World…

            Selene opened her eyes and looked down at the image the fountain was displaying…

            _Everything seems calm down there…_- Selene thought, but she winced. _No, nothing is calm down there_; she knows it. She can feel the tension building up in the air; the color of the image was turning red… There's problem around the corner.

            _Why the girl's find it right to have that boy near them? _ - she thought, half angry and half worried while she looked at the scene in the park. –_ It's dangerous! What would happen once he remembers who he is?!_

Do they know **who** he is?

            Oh, she definitely can't understand the girl's plans!

            _And remember… Ares can break free without Hades on the Underworld…_ - that thought made her tremble. What would happen if Ares break free, it's something she dare not think about. Just the mention of his name makes a cold shudder run down her spine.

            A deep frown creased her serene features… she can feel trouble galloping right where the girl's are.

            "Selene, you are going to wear yourself off if you continue to stand there" – Jupiter said, sounding worried.

            Selene smiled and turned to look at him. "My child is down there, too." – she said.

            "I know, Selene." – Jupiter said, sighing.

            "I wish I could keep on looking like you do, Selene." – Demeter said, sitting on the edge of the fountain, her back facing the waters. –"But it makes me too anxious." – she added, wringing her hands nervously.

            Selene smiled fondly at the Nature's Goddess. "Well, then. Someone had to do it since Setsuna is keeping the Time Gates."

            Aphrodite snorted. "This is useless, sis." – she said, and her eyes got a far off look on them. – "We could end up loosing them to the Messengers…" – she said softly. –"… As we did our sons…" – she ended in a sad whisper.

            "That's the reason why you are so mad…" – Selene stated.

            Aphrodite snapped out of her sad reverie and looked at her older sister. Oh, did she know what was the real intention behind Selene's words! She was trying to bring up her suspicions on who told the Messengers Lita was going to be in the Mortal World… and she won't have Selene accusing her. Not now, though.

            "Well, and Juno, too. Volcano is down there with Eros and Apollo…!" – Aphrodite said.

            "That's true." – Jupiter said.

            Selene huffed and turned her eyes to the fountain… Her violet eyes landed on a disturbing scene…

            _I knew it!_ – She thought, gasping loudly and bringing a hand to her opened mouth.

            "What it is, Selene?" – Demeter and Jupiter jumped at her reaction.

            Selene backed a few steps, catching Aphrodite's attention. The golden goddess looked at her, raising an eyebrow at her.

            "… Shinigami… and Apollo…" – Selene whispered, white as a paper sheet.

            Apollo was the youngest of the Higher Gods.

            Born from the Older Goddess Themis – the ruler of law and order, mother of the hours and the fates – and the Elemental God Chaos, one of the oldest gods that survived the war between the Higher ones and the Titans. 

The young god was born with highly peculiar abilities. He seemed to have inherited her mother's ability to read the minds of those weaker than him and to foreseeing the future. Very dangerous abilities if you use them wrong. And if we combine that with the ability he inherited from his father, to spread plagues and diseases, the young Higher God was definitely one of the most deadly and dangerous, second to Ares.

He had one cold and analytical mind… and was very difficult to educate. The young god was very intelligent, brighter than any other, which made him extremely hot headed.

He used to be a renegade god, siding with Ares constant quest for control. He used to be his right hand then. And was feared and revered by many. 

But all of that changed when, curiously, he had a glimpse of the future… **His future**.

Usually, those who can foresee the future can't see anything about themselves – it's kind of a rule Uranus made – because, even when many of your visions may be right, there are still a lot of things that can change in the last minute. People's choices are the ones who really reign the way their future was going to be and there was no amount of god's influence that could change that. So when Apollo saw a glimpse of **his **future, he was downright confused… and a little bit afraid.

It all happened the day Persephone, the youngest of all the Planet Princesses, was born.

He was in the Sun, his home planet, meditating to clear his mind and try and come up with one good plan to take over Jupiter's kingdom, when he saw… He saw himself falling a long, dark tunnel. And though he knows he should've been worried, he knew he wasn't because he was falling because he wanted. He was heading towards something deep down that tunnel; he was searching, quite frantically. And then he saw… a pale green light… and it was ebbing. He heard someone crying… a girl crying. 

_Save me… save me…_- the girl said, sobbing – _Don't leave me here…_

His eyes opened and he straightened himself, as if he had springs underneath him. He walked down to a window near him and looked down to Earth. Something odd was going on down at that planet… a flash of light – dark green and pale green enveloped in silver – was shutting outside of it while another – dark violet - was entering. 

It all happened so fast… but he knew… he knew what that meant.

So he went to Planet Jupiter…

There, things seemed normal, but he could sense something funny in the air. People were confused and murmuring…

_Queen Juno just gave birth to a little girl…?_

_And Queen Juno's sister, Ares lover, is here, in Jupiter. Can you believe it? The nerve!_

_Yes! She's a traitor!_

_That's true!_

Apollo paid close attention to the murmurs that surrounded him. 

True, Demeter used to be Ares' lover – but she was forced to. Though it didn't matter since only Apollo knew it, so it was reasonable that people looked at her as a traitor. What he couldn't understand was, why she was on Planet Jupiter…

_The light coming out of Planet Earth… it was… it was **dark **green, Demeter's color. And it had silver on it…that's Jupiter's color. But the **pale** green? _– he thought. 

Without knowing, his steps took him to the Jupitarian Palace, where everything was a fuss. Maidens were running up and down the long corridors of the palace, wide beams of happiness in their faces. The atmosphere there was completely different from the one he perceived in the streets of Jupiter. People inside the palace were happy, excited.

_She's here! She's here!_

_Isn't she lovely?_

_Oh! She looks a lot like your Highness, don't you think?_

He saw Athena come running down the corridor and from the way she was looking at him, she wasn't pleased to see him there.

"What are you doing here?!" – she thundered, stopping just a few feet from him.

He looked coolly at her, his face expressionless. He was good at concealing his emotions and he surely wasn't pleased to see her, too.

"Just visiting." – he said, calmly.

He liked to see her loose her temper, because the more calm he acted, the more vexed she looked.

            "_Just visiting_?! That's bullshit!" – she spat.

            He raised his eyebrow in fake shock. "Watch you mouth, little Athena. You don't want '_Mommy_' admonishing you for your foul language."

            She pressed her white and trembling fists to her sides while fire seemed to shot out of her nostrils.

            "Tell me what are you doing here." – she demanded. –"You're not one to come _visiting_. You want something, I know it."

            He gave her a nearly imperceptible smile. "I told you, I'm just visiting. I can't do that?"

            "_Apollo_… " – Athena said, trembling with anger.

            "Besides," – and he openly smiled at her –"I just want to see the youngest daughter of King Jupiter…"

            Athena's mouth hanged open for a second. Not only did he **smiled **at her – that in itself was wicked, utterly unusual - but he **knew**, oh gods, **he knew **…

            "How do you know…?"

            "About the girl?" – he interrupted and shrugged. –"I have my ways."

            "Who's there, Athena dear?" – Juno asked, coming out from one long corridor.

            Apollo looked at the Queen of the Higher Gods and smirked.

            She definitely didn't look like a woman who just **gave birth**. 

            Everything was clear now… the slip that could bring Jupiter's reign down. Oh, he couldn't be happier! 

            Queen Juno looked at him and paled.

            "Mother, get out of here!" – Athena hissed.

            "What is he doing here?" – Juno whispered, becoming paler.

            Athena took the opportunity to shove Apollo to a wall. Her dagger materialized in her hand and she certainly looked dangerous when she yelled at the young god…

            "GET OUT OF HERE!!"

            "NO!" – someone said, gaining everyone's attention.

            Just behind Juno, the young Goddess of Nature appeared, holding a bundle to her chest. She was pale and looked tired, just like a woman who just gave birth. She was disheveled and looked scared, while the little package pressed to her chest moved and a tiny cry came out of it. 

            "Demeter, you are not supposed to be here. You are still too weak." – Juno sighed, exasperated.

            "No." – she said. – "The Parcae told me, Juno… they told me **he **would take care of her…"

            "Now you are delirious, Demeter. What are you babbling about?!"

            "He would protect her… I know." – Demeter said and her eyes closed, her body slumped forward.

            "DEMETER!"

            Again, things happened too fast. And Apollo certainly doesn't know how he managed to be the one who caught the little bundle on Demeter's arms. The Nature's Goddess fainted and Juno and Athena's attention went directly to her. He had more than enough time to turn and escape with the little girl… but damn Parcae if they weren't right!

            The little bundle in his arms moved and he looked down. Somehow, in the commotion, the blanket fell and draped his arm, revealing a small face with a fuzz of reddish hair and wide, brilliant green eyes that were looking at him with confusion. She started sucking her thumb and blinked, sleepily at him, falling asleep with a contented smile on her face and sighing deeply.

            And he knew, right then, that he couldn't take her to her doom as he was planning. He wanted to see her as happy and secure as she looked right then. 

            He didn't know the other part of the prophecy… the part that says that he was going to fall in love with her.

            The nerve! She couldn't **believe **him!

            After the shock of finding him spying on her, his words slowly downed on her.

            _"So you wanna go out with **my girl…my girl** …"_

Darn him!

            She was furious now that she shock subsided… and she doesn't know why! She should be happy. Wasn't this what she wanted?

            _But not like this!_ – she thought, furiously.

            "Your girl? YOUR GIRL?!" – she screamed.

            Trowa stood beside her, disturbingly calm. He didn't seem fazed by Duo's menacing outburst.

            "This is **rich**!" – Makoto continued, catching a lot of attention.

            Duo still scowled at them… Makoto was **too **near Trowa.

            "I didn't know you **knew** each other" – Duo spat, his indigo eyes blazing with jealousy.

            "And since **when** do you mind **who **I know?" – Makoto counteracted. 

            Duo's jaw nearly reached the ground. But just as soon as he showed his surprise, he regained his scowl and growled, looking at Trowa.

            "What are you doing?!" – he asked the silent young man beside Makoto. –"Why don't you **say** something?!"

            If he was hoping Trowa would back down and say something between the lines of "I'm sorry", he was about to receive the shock of his life.

            "I was just asking her out, Duo. Is there something wrong with it?" – he said, calmly.

            Duo's blood boiled.

            "Oh, hell yeah! There's something **wrong** with it!" – Duo yelled, swinging his arms and nearly stomping like a little kid.

            Lita, who was nervous with the whole display her sister and two young men were giving, looked around and saw a little audience gathering around them. The little girl scowled and hid behind one of Makoto's legs.

            "GO AWAY!" – she said at the audience, her small face all scrunched up in a cute scowl.

            But people didn't pay attention to her. Their eyes were fixed on the older guys and girl. Especially now, when the braided one was about to snap!

            Duo was trembling, trying to keep cool, but he was loosing his inner battle. There he was, furious – about to become his destructive, Shinigami self – and that damned Trowa were so calm! Why don't he **moves **out of Makoto's side? Why don't he disappears from the face of the Earth? Don't he sees that Makoto is his?

            _Damn him!_ – Duo thought, moving towards them with determined strides while he extended an arm towards Makoto. When he was just a couple of feet away from her, he took her arm and yanked her out of Trowa's reach.

            The sudden movement made Lita fall on her side. The little girl screamed and started crying.

            "You IDIOT!" –Makoto said, turning and punching him in the face.

            Lita threw her head back and…

            "Waaaaaaah! Waaaaaaa! MOMMY!"

            Trowa bent and picked the crying little girl.

            People around them were murmuring.

            _How rude!_ – they were saying, referring to Duo.

            And to make matters worse, Makoto went to Trowa's side to pick her little sister from his arms. She cooed the little girl and held her tight to her chest. Lita's face was red and tear streak, and she kept on crying loudly. Then she seemed to loose her breath and stayed quiet, her face still scrunched up. Makoto panicked and even Trowa tried to calm the little girl, placing a hand on her back.

            "I'm… I'm sorry, Mako. I wasn't…" – Duo tried to say.

            Lita, who seemed to have regained her breath, started to wail once more, which made Makoto look at Duo with one fierce scowl on her face that succeeded on making the Shinigami shake. 

            Duo looked sincerely ashamed.

            Little Lita was sniffing, lips trembling, between Trowa and Makoto. And Duo couldn't help but notice just how much they looked like the perfect family. They even looked so alike…!

            It hurt Duo's heart.

            The happy-go-lucky pilot's expression went from fierce jealousy to sad, miserable uncertainty. His shoulders slumped and he looked down to the ground, feeling awful.

            "Really, Mako. I didn't mean to hurt Lita…"

            "But you did!"

            "Duo baaaaaaad! Duo baaaaaad!" – Lita wailed with a fresh supply of tears breaking free and rolling down her cheeks.

            The moment of jealousy quickly passed away, leaving the Shinigami ashamed. He could feel the stares of the people around them land directly on him, accusing him of being rude. And those stares made him feel so small…

            "I'm sorry…" – he nearly whispered, looking at Makoto right in the eyes. 

            There was no anger or jealousy on his eyes when he looked at her. Just his sincere desire to have her forgiveness. There was such openness in his eyes that it was like looking inside his soul… and she couldn't stay angry with him.

            For some reason, she couldn't look at him any longer. Her verdant eyes were swimming in tears and she didn't know why she was about to cry. It hurt her to see him like that, so sad and afraid. But…_ how he dares hurt Lita while he's arguing with me?!_

She knows it was an accident. But she couldn't stand the idea of someone hurting Lita. That made her mad at him. Then, she remembers that they must clear things out, that he **needs** to explain that _'my girl'_ part to her.

            But Lita was crying… She was excited to a point where she doesn't know whether she's angry with him or just deeply embarrassed now that she noticed the little show they were giving. And to top things off, she found out she couldn't talk… Damnit, she was crying!

            She couldn't take it any longer…

            She turned and left as fast as her legs and Lita's weight permitted her.

            She headed off … but her tears didn't go unnoticed to both Duo and Trowa.

            "Mako…"

            "Makoto…"

            Both men whispered, looking at her departing figure.

            Duo whipped his head and his indigo eyes landed on the tall, silent man in front of him. His eyes narrowed and he growled striding towards Trowa…

            "This is all your fault!" – he spat, poking Trowa painfully with his index finger on his shoulder.

            Trowa didn't flinch. He just turned his head and looked from Duo's offending finger on his shoulder, and then up to the young man's fierce eyes.

            "Don't do that." – he said, calmly. His voice didn't even sound menacing.

            "Oh, yeah!?" – Duo said, intentionally, hammering his finger on Trowa's shoulder. –"What would you do, huh?"

            Again, Trowa looked from Duo's finger up to his face.

            "I'm warning you…" – he said.

            "Yeah? You do? I'm not afraid of you, Silly Clown!"

            Their audience became quite interested in their little exchange.

            _There's going to be a fight! _– a young man said excitedly.

            _Oh, dear! Please, no! _ - a young woman said.

            Once again, Trowa and Duo were oblivious of the people around them.

            "Duo, I don't want to fight with you…" – Trowa said.

            "What were you doing with Makoto? How do you know her? From where? When did you meet her?" 

            Trowa's eyebrows became one long line while his eyes narrowed at Duo. His lips tightened in a pissed off expression. Duo still drilled his finger onto his shoulder.

            "_Duo_…" – he warned, taking the young man's hand by the wrist and yanking it away from himself.

            "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" – Duo hollered.

            Now **that** really pissed off Trowa…

            "Who are you to ask me that? Her boyfriend?"

            Duo couldn't come up with something good to retort. He just growled, frustrated, and fisted his hands.

            "Stay away from her." – he whispered like an echo of his last statement.

            Trowa crossed his arms about his chest and looked down at Duo.

            "You can't ask me that."- he said and turned to leave.

            Duo growled again and went after Trowa. When he was behind the taller young man, he pushed him.

            "I'm warning you, Trowa!" – he said. –"You don't want me as your enemy!"

            Trowa swirled on the balls of his feet and clenched his fists.

            "I'm not afraid of you!" – the silent clown said, lunging his body towards Duo in a rather warning way. He didn't want to fight the braided young man. Duo didn't stand a chance against him. Trowa **knows** his weakest point.

            But Duo wasn't thinking and saw Trowa's gesture as an open challenge. He lunged forward, too. He just wanted to punch some sense into the taller man's brain. Makoto is his!

            A tightly clenched fist went flying. Destination: Trowa's face.

            But the fist never reached his destination.

            "What the hell are you doing?!"

            "Duo!"

            Duo's fist was painfully stopped in mid air.

            The Shinigami growled like a wounded animal and pulled his fist from the hand that was stopping him from kicking some sense into Trowa's brain. Before him, Trowa stood, with a calm face that flooded his stomach with bile.

            Duo just hated him!

            Still, the one stopping him, didn't let go of his hand.

            "Let go!!" – Duo hollered, struggling blindly against the person stopping him. His eyes were fixed on Trowa and how freaking calmed he looked. It was as if he was mocking him.

            "DAMN IT! LET GO!"

            Suddenly, a pair of arms enveloped him by his shoulders, then, slid down and pinned his arms with surprising strength.

            "LET GO! GODDAMNIT!"- he screamed with his face red, full of anger.

            "Duo! Calm down! Calm down!"

            Michelle's face hovered above him. "What's wrong?"- she asked him.

            Surprisingly, the one stopping him from smashing Trowa's face was another woman: Amara.

            "Who are you?" – the taller woman asked Trowa, her eyes narrowed at him.

            Trowa just turned and left.

            "Hey! HEY!" – Amara called.

            "TROWA!" – Duo called back, fighting Amara's hold on him.

            _Hell! What the fuck does she eat?! I can't break free, damn it! _– Duo thought.

            Trowa continued walking to where he was seated with Makoto and Lita just a couple of minutes earlier. He seemed completely oblivious to Duo's calls.

            "Damn you, Trowa! Come back here, Idiot! Are you afraid!?! Come back here!"

            "What's going on?" – Michelle asked again. –"Who's he?"

            Finally, Duo managed to break free. He huffed and left in the opposite direction Trowa took, leaving behind two confused young women and a disappointed audience.

            "THERE'S NOTHING HERE TO SEE!" – Amara hollered those still present at the site. -"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

            The people gathered around them, dispersed. Soon the two women were left alone.

            "I don't like this one bit, Amara" – Michelle said, worried.

            "I don't like it either" – Amara said, looking down to where Trowa left. –"Did you feel the same thing I felt?" – she asked, looking directly at Michelle's eyes.

            Michelle nodded slightly.

            "Then, you know, that if the fight between them..." – Amara said.

            "They can trigger each other's memories." – Michelle ended Amara's statement and she nodded. Still, a worried – and a little afraid – expression creased her elegant features. – "We don't want that to happen."

            "Definitively." – Amara said, placing her hands on her hips. –"I didn't know Makoto and Lita were so near to two Messengers..." – she raked her hands through her short, sandy blonde hair in frustration. –"I couldn't feel his energy up until he became angry..."

            "That's because this one is, or was, on a mission here. He's disguised. And, unlike Shinigami, who had to posses a body to survive, this one is living a normal life."

            "Which worries me, Michelle." – Amara said, exhaling kind of exasperated. –"If we can't sense them, unless they are angry, as this new Messenger was, then there's no way for us to know where they are and if they are near the girls. We won't be able to spot them until it's too late..."

            "That's true." – Michelle said, pondering on the matter. –"And this is really serious, Amara." – she looked up to her friend and lover – "This new Messenger is one of the most dangerous of all..."

            Amara nodded in understanding. "This one is Febus, isn't it?"

            Michelle nodded. "The Messenger of Plagues and Confusion, indeed." – she said.

            Trowa returned to the bench were he was sitting with Makoto and Lita just a couple of minutes earlier.

            He was angry – though, he didn't show it. His face was lax, but the way his eyes were narrowing ever so slightly, the way a muscle in his jaw kept playing hide and seek, and the way his fists were clenching and unclenching were telling just how angry he was.

            _How dare he acts as if Makoto was his sole property?!_ – he thought, seating heavily on the bench. For once in his lifetime, he **really** disliked someone to the point where all he wanted to do was to punch him. But the more rational part of his brain stopped him and told him that it was ridiculous and that he should control his impulses. Hitting Duo won't make things better – although he really wanted to ignore his rational part and follow his instincts.

            But Makoto's sad face did what his mind couldn't. Her expression stopped him from hurting Duo. Her eyes, their sadness, did the magic and it kept flashing in his eyes.

            _She was so sad..._ – he thought, frowning ever so slightly. – _She was crying._

Trowa's heart went down to his stomach.

            _She cares for him..._

His shoulders slumped and he hunched his torso forward, placing his elbows on his knees and crossing arms one over the other. His head moved lazily to his left and his eyes landed on a thick, heavy looking book he recognized... It was the book Makoto was studying. 

            A small smile crept to his lips.

            _Everything is not over. _ -  he thought, picking the book and standing up. He now has a good excuse to see her again.

            Makoto couldn't put a name to what she was feeling right at that moment. Too many feelings were stirring inside of her, each and everyone seeming to take turns to control her mood for a couple of seconds before another would overpower the former.

            She was angry, upset, confused, excited, sad…

            Chaos, isn't it?

            But that's how she was feeling; though now a confusing mixture of sadness and anger were overwhelming her.

            She turned and left the park, crying. She was so… confused she didn't notice that her crying was affecting someone else.

            Lita…

            The little girl looked scared. "Mommy, why you cryyyyyiiiiingg, huh? Whyyyyyyyy?" – she cried.

            Makoto had to force her tears to stop and put on a fake mask of a smile on her lips.

            "Don't cry, Sweetie. Nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong" – she cooed.

            Kind of ironic, huh? She was saying there was nothing wrong, when, in fact, **everything** felt wrong to her. She was feeling strange, as if she was having a dream. Everything felt oddly familiar to her – the whole situation, that is. And she wanted to know why. Something, at the back of her brain **knew** she wasn't new to this kind of situations.

            But she didn't have the time to ponder on it…

            "Duo baaaaad, Mommy! Duo baaaaad!" – Lita said, wailing openly.

            Makoto pressed the little girl to her chest and tried to calm her with sweet words while she opened the door to her café. The welcoming tinkling of the bell perched high over the door suddenly died when Lita's sobs overpowered it's merry sound.

            And if things weren't bad enough, destiny probed they could get worse.

            Soon Mina and Amy appeared, followed by Raye.

            _Damnit, I forgot they were still here! _– Makoto thought trying desperately to calm the crying Lita.

            The three young women were using aprons and – especially, Mina – had flour on their faces. (Although, Mina also had flour on her hair, shirts, shoes…). Suddenly, their expressions showed worry and confusion…

            "What happened?" – Amy asked, alarmed when she saw Lita crying so bitterly.

            Raye was the first one to come out completely from the kitchen threshold and take the wailing Lita in her arms. She started to look in the little girl's knees and elbows for some scratch or major injury…

            "Are you hurt, Lita? – Raye was asking. –"Did you fell from a swing?"

            Mina scowled and crossed her arms over her chest – causing a thick cloud of flour to come out of her shirt. "Did that Billy boy hurt you?" – she asked.

            "Mina, don't start with that, please." – Amy admonished.

            "**That boy** is a pest, Amy!" – Mina said, stomping.

            "She's not hurt." – Raye said calmly, throwing a rather menacing glance towards Mina. –"She's fine."

            The young blonde woman shut her mouth, but scowled angrily while Raye looked up to Makoto.

            "What happened?" – Raye asked Makoto.

            Makoto blinked and was about to answer when Lita filled them in.

            "Duo **bad**! Duo baaaad!"

            Now it was Amy, Raye and Mina's turn to blinked.

            Makoto couldn't feel more uncomfortable. "Eh…" – she babbled.

            "Duo made me fall!" – Lita explained.

            "Oh." – Amy said, her features softening. –"Probably he didn't mean that, honey…"

            "But he was fighting with Trowa and there were many, many people and he made Mako cryyyyy… waaaaaaahhhh…"

            Ok, so Makoto can feel more uncomfortable. She smiled stupidly at her friends while they looked at her with confusion clearly stated on their faces. 

            "Fighting?" – Raye asked, a finely shaped brow arching.

            "He made you cry, Makoto?!" – Mina asked, looking furious. –"And who the hell is Trowa?!"

            Amy cleared her throat, gaining the attention of her friends. "I believe the question we should be asking you right now is _what_ happened_, Makoto?"

            Makoto opened her mouth, to answer the many questions she was bombarded with. But she didn't make out one syllable when the bell perched high above the door tinkled. Everybody's attention went to the door.

            Mina smiled flirtatiously and threw her long, heavy hair over her shoulder.

            Amy blushed and smiled timidly.

            Raye raised one eyebrow, sizing up the newcomer with suspicion. She wrinkled her nose when she saw that Makoto's eyes grew wider.

DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUUNNNNN!

Who just got to Makoto's café? Who's Febus? Stay tuned for the next episode – er …

Anyway, do you want to see some of my drawings? I'll be posting some of them on Media Miner in the next couple of days so, if you want to see them, go look for _Gota de Mar_ and tell me what you think of them!

Bye, Bye!


	5. Chapter Four

January 1st, 2005

Happy New Year, everybody! And, yeah, people I'm not dead. Sorry to take sooooooooo long to post this. I hope you hadn't forgot about me! Anyway, for those who may be interested, I already have next chapter of Angels with Singed Wings written, it just needs to be translated and – obviously – posted .

Dedication:

I dedicate this chapter to my two internet buddies Athena Kyle and Kourui.

_Guys, this is for you for your support and insistence LOL. Thank you, sincerely._

Diclaimer:

I don't own either GW or SM, and the purpose of this fic is solely for entertainment – hope so… Ah! And I also don't own the gods and goddesses of the Greek and/or Roman mythology

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**Chapter Four**

_The day of Princess Persephone's sixteenth birthday meant many great things for the Jupitarian Kingdom; amongst them, the assertion of the Silver Alliance - and even more important to the King – the princess safety._

_Throughout the first years of the youngest of Zeus' daughters' life, the secret of her parentage was no mystery at all - especially after Demeter's relocation to Jupiter. The Jupitarian people knew the young goddess lived all of her existence on Earth and now – all of a sudden – she decided to move to Jupiter once the birth of the little princess was announced. _

_However, just as it usually happens with these kinds of things, Persephone's parentage secret was condoned once the people of Jupiter started to care for the little girl. _

_Persephone was not your average kind of princess. She inherited her father's impulsive and hotheaded character; her older sister's vitality; her "mother's" grace and her "aunt's" maternal instincts and ability with plants._

_Persephone adored her sister Athena, and she followed her everywhere – sometimes driving the older Princess nuts. And she grew just as athletic and adventurous as her older sister. At an early age, she already climbed trees, rode thunder horses and sneaked out of the palace to take baths on the kingdom's rivers. Even the peasants would help her get out of trouble when Zeus came barging like a caged lion looking for his youngest daughter._

_The little Princess also admired her "mother's" elegance and, every moment that she could, she would try to imitate her. This won Queen Juno's affections, even when – at the beginning – it seemed she didn't care for the girl. But as soon as the regal Queen saw the admiration and love the little princess bestowed upon her, her heart was won over and the high walls of ice she tried to build around it to protect herself and her overbearing pride were melted. Queen Juno always kept an eye on her, making sure Persephone acted like a lady – at least, when she attended formal gatherings. Princess Persephone's spirit was not an easy one to tame._

_But of all of her relationships, the one she valued the most, was the one she held with her "aunt". She felt as if Demeter could read her thoughts…_

_"Persephone? I knew you'll be here", Demeter said._

_The young girl turned and smiled at her. "Aunt Demeter!" she said, while her smile grew upon her brilliant face._

_But her aunt noticed the presence of the young man behind her niece. "Apollo! It's been so long. I didn't know you were here already."_

_"I just got here, Demeter," he said, taking a step forward to take Demeter's hand and place a kiss on it._

_"Oh, I see," she murmured, arching an eyebrow with a playful expression on her big verdant eyes. "And you just had to come and see my niece before you report to her father, King Zeus?"_

_Luckily, for him, Persephone's expression help disguise his own, although he was a master in keeping his face as blank as a sheet of paper even when distressed. The young princess was protesting, all flushed and embarrassed. She never saw the faint pink tint that stained his cheeks for just a couple of seconds._

_"Oh, Aunty, the things you say!" Persephone said._

_Demeter laughed, enjoying the youth's reaction._

_Persephone, still flushed and self-conscious, refused to look at Apollo. In her mind, the memory of what went on between them the last time they met was still too fresh… and it still embarrassed her._

_On the other hand, Apollo was looking at the princess out of the corner of his eye, enjoying her profile with a soft smile on his handsome face._

_A smile that wasn't lost to Demeter's eye…_

_"The truth is, Persephone, that I'm looking for you," Demeter said, regaining her formal air. "Your mother is about to go crazy looking for you all over the palace. Remember that you have to prepare for your party…"_

_"True, Aunty!" Persephone said, before turning on her heels and looked at Apollo. "Talk to you later, Apollo. I have to go."_

_The young god just nodded to accept her departure, while Persephone hurried to reach the palace._

_"Wait a second, Sweetie!" Demeter called._

_Persephone stopped and turned. Demeter went to her, but – before that – she asked Apollo to wait for her there. Apollo nodded and Demeter went to her niece._

_"What is it, Aunty?"_

_Demeter smiled, looking at her with adoration. Her face lit up while she looked at the young princess and so many emotions – love, pride and sadness - crossed her face, so fast, even Persephone couldn't perceive them._

_Demeter sighed and took Persephone's chin with tenderness. "You're such a darling girl," she said, and her eyes welled up with tears. "I love you so much…"_

_Persephone blinked, a little surprised with the emotion behind those words, because – even though, she was used to them – this time it felt as if her own mother was uttering them. And just then she noticed how particular a bond she had with her aunt. It was not normal – for some reason she couldn't comprehend. And it was clear in the way her aunt looked at her right at that moment that she noticed… it was stronger than when Juno looked at her…_

_"I love you, too, Aunty. You know that," she whispered._

_"Just remember this, Persephone, that no matter what happens, I love you with all my heart."_

_Persephone nodded with teary eyes. "Yes, Aunty. But … why are you telling me this? Is something wrong? Why are you crying?"_

_Demeter sighed and placed a small box on Persephone's hands. The princess looked at it and blinked, awed. A crystal box lay on her hand, holding the smallest buds of pink roses she's ever seen. "Aunt Demeter!" she whispered, still awestruck. She opened the box and the sweet aroma of the little roses reached her, intoxicating her. "How beautiful! These are the most precious roses I've ever seen! Where are they from? I'll plant them. I've never seen roses this tiny in my life -," she kept saying, marveled with the tiny pink wonders in her hand. The little petals seemed extremely fragile and nearly transparent, but – when she touched them – she noticed they were firm as if they were little pieces of stone._

_Persephone frowned, while Demeter smiled._

_"Those are not simple rosebuds, honey," Demeter said. And she took one out ofher "niece's" hand and placed it on her earlobe. "These are earrings. I had them especially made for you."_

_"Earrings?"_

_"Yes," Demeter smiled. "Those are my gift to you. They represent the things I see in you: a beautiful girl, magnificent as a rose, but strong, honest and firm like a rock."_

_Persephone laughed. "It looks as if my unlady – like behaviorgave me great luck today."_

_Demeter laughed once more. Then she looked at her, with adoration clearly on her eyes, and she gave her a kiss on her forehead and a hug._

_"Go! Go with your mother…" she whispered faintly, a hint of sadness lingering in her voice._

_"Yes, Aunty. I'll see you at the ball…"_

_Apollo, who was sitting on a bench beneath the cool shadow of a tree, didn't loose a moment of the conversation between mother and daughter – even if one of them didn't know of this fact._

_**But that would change soon**, he thought._

_The young deity hung his head, feeling sad because he knew what was about to happen to that young princess he had watch grow into a beautiful young woman. If only he could change things…_

_"I'm so glad you waited for me, Apollo," Demeter said._

_He looked up and noticed the goddess smile at him. "You have something important you want to tell me, did you not?" he said, more than asked._

_Demeter smiled. "There's hardly anything we can keep from you," she half joked. "Why don't we take a stroll down the garden?"_

_Apollo nodded and followed._

_Demeter sighed sadly, in spite of the grand view that extended before her. There were trees that went beyond her line of vision, trees that created a dark green canopy through which honeyed rays filtered form the golden Jupitarian sky. The weather was warm – although Demeter knew that on Earth, it must have been very cold, even snowing in certain parts of the planet._

_The plants of the garden did what they always did whenever Persephone was around, started to respond to Demeter's presence and bloomed, regaining their brilliance and wonderful scent._

_Demeter looked about her with tears in her eyes. "I'm so scared, Apollo," she whispered._

_The young god didn't respond, just continued walking beside the saddened goddess. _

_"For a couple of days now I've had this feeling… something is not right. Something awful will happen today."_

_Once more, Apollo didn't say a word, making the goddess look at him and sigh with frustration. There she was, trying to get an answer out of him, and he didn't say a word. Sometimes it was unnerving to try and talk to him. He was so secretive and so wise that to gain a reaction or comment out of him without pushiness meant your worries were unfounded. But now…_

_"You won't tell me anything," Demeter said, her voice sounded weak. "Am I correct, then? Something terrible is going to happen today?" Her beautiful verdant eyes widened with worry._

_Apollo turned and stood in front of her; a sad smile grazing his lips "I've been having the same feeling as you do, Demeter. But you know that I cannot see the future as well as I used to, especially if it has something to do with Persephone. I know something is about to happen, but I do not know what, when or how."_

_"I know Juno will insist in telling my daughter the truth today." Demeter said, turning her back on the young god ."There is nothing I can do to prevent that. Juno told me that the day Persephone turned one. She promised. And you know that Juno always keeps her promises."_

_"But there is something else that's worrying you, isn't it?"_

_Demeter looked at him. "Can you feel it, too?" she asked._

_Apollo nodded and lifted his right hand. A weak ray of sunlight touched his skin and he concentrated his powers. And, before his closed eyes, the misty veils that protect time were lifted, giving him a quick look of the past, the present and the future. In his hand, the three currents of time gushed like water in a fountain. He concentrated and tried to look forward in time. He asked for Persephone, tried to find a signal of her essence, but the more he tried, the more his powers weakened. Sweat brushed his eyebrow and his expression was one of great effort. Finally, he got a glimpse… _

_**There were many trees… a forest! And he could hear the faint sound of someone sobbing… Persephone?! She was distraught, crying her heart out over a broken tree trunk.**_

_**Persephone!**_

_Then, it was gone._

_Apollo opened his eyes, tightening his fists; trying to quench the anger that his frustration sparked in him._

_"You got to see something, didn't you?" Demeter asked._

_But what he saw was not sufficient enough to come to any conclusions. Persephone's tears could be because of the news of her heritage or – and this was what he really feared – because of what her betrothed could do or say today._

_"Persephone's future is forbiddento me, Demeter. You know I cannot see but a glimpse of it."_

_"So that's just how tied your future is to hers," Demeter said, smiling softly at him. _

_The young god turned his face, trying to hide the sudden blush that took over his cheeks. But it was already too late, since Demeter noticed it. "I always knew it, Apollo," she told him. "Even when you insisted on the contrary… even when you broke her heart a few years ago… I knew. You did it because of love… because you are in love with her."_

_"I cannot love, Demeter," he said._

_"That's just an excuse, Apollo. That's the same old reason you use when you don't want to compromise your heart. But love does not know of excuses or reasons…"_

_"I've done terrible things in my life, Demeter. I am not the best person…"_

_"And yet, you were about to tell my daughter how you feel," she interrupted him._

_Apollo looked at her, surprised, while Demeter just smiled at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You thought I would not notice what you were trying to do just a few minutes ago?" she asked him. "When I came out of the palace to look for her – after Zeus commented on just **how late** you were – I found you with my daughter, and I knew. I just knew without a doubt"._

_Apollo kept silent._

_"It is your destiny, too, Apollo. That is why you cannot see her future," Demeter said and, suddenly, her face brightened up. "I know! I understand now! You cannot see into my daughter's future because to see it – for you – it could mean to see your own future. And you can't do that."_

_Apollo breathed in deeply and walked towards a tree. "It is so strange, Demeter", he said softly. "Of all the women I've been with in all of my existence, why did it have to be **her**?"_

_Demeter smiled bitterly, "Those are the mysteries of love, Apollo," she said. "Who would've know I'd end up living here, nearly like a freeloader, just because I'm Persephone's mother."_

_Apollo jumped at that, "Do not say that, Demeter! You know its not simply because you're Persephone's mother why you are here." He walked towards the goddess, his expression intense and firm. "Both you and Persephone are in great danger," he said. "Mars is still at large and we don't know when he'll attack."_

_Demeter paled at his words and her knees weakened with the force of the truth. She slowly slipped till she sat at the roots of a tree. "Do you think he could… do something to her, Apollo?" she whispered bringing a quivering hand to her chest._

_Apollo hated this but he had to be the voice of reason. "To him, Persephone is nothing. You know Mars won't stop till he gets what he wants. And if Persephone is an obstacle to his end, he won't have any trouble disposing of her."_

_Demeter shook with Apollo's words. She's been trying to deny the truth for so long, she has come to believe Mars won't be as merciless as Apollo has just made him to be. But she knows the truth; she knows Mars won't mind destroying what he may consider a hindrance. Mars is cold, scheming, and feels any emotions are nothing but obstacles stopping him from getting what he wants. And for a long time what Mars has wanted, is her. And if he needs to use her own daughter to get to her, he won't have any qualms doing so – and he would do it without mercy, even if Persephone is Demeter's beloved and only daughter. That won't stop him for getting his revenge. _

_"He could hurt her," the words slipped from her mouth without her knowing; like an echo of her thoughts._

_"Don't even doubt it, Demeter," Apollo said coldly. "We all know Mars wants retribution for your unfaithfulness. With whom better that your own daughter Persephone?"_

_Demeter's hands were shaking, fueled by the power of her own distress. Her eyes welled up in tears of desperation and, with a start she took Apollo's hands in her own and pulled him to her until their faces where just but a few inches apart. "That's why I wanted to ask you," she whispered urgently. "… For **you** to be the one who asks for Persephone's hand! I want **you** to be the one who marries her. You are the only one who can protect her! I know it! It's in your future!"_

>-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->-->

Makoto couldn't put a name to what she was feeling right at that moment. Too many feelings were stirring inside of her and each and everyone of them took turns to control her mood for a couple of seconds before another would overpower the former.

She was angry, upset, confused, excited, and sad …

Isn't this a little chaotic?

But that's how she was feeling, though now a confusing mixture of sadness and anger were overwhelming her.

She turned and left the park crying. She was so… confused. She didn't noticed that her crying was upsetting someone else…

Lita.

The little girl looked scared. "Mommy, why you crying?" she started to cry, too. "Why? Why?"

Makoto had to control her crying so she wouldn't scare her little sister any further. She put a fake smile on her lips and looked at her darling little sister, "Don't cry, Sweetie. Nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong" she tried to sooth her.

But it all seemed kind of ironic. There she was, saying there was nothing wrong, and yet she felt as if everything felt wrong. She even felt strange, as if she was having a dream. Everything felt oddly familiar to her – that is, the whole situation with Duo and Trowa.

"Duo baaad, Mommy! Duo baaad," Lita wailed openly, her pouty lips trembling.

She pressed that little girl to her chest and tried to calm her, while she opened the door to her café. The tinkling welcome of the bell perched high over the door suddenly died when Lita's sobs overpowered it's merry sound.

Soon Mina and Ami appeared, followed by Rei. The three of them were using aprons and – especially Mina – had flour on their faces. (Mina also had it in her hair, shirt, and shoes…)

"What happened?" asked Ami, alarmed.

Rei was the first one to come out of the kitchen and take the wailing girl in her arms. She started to look in the little girl's knees and elbows to check she wasn't injured. "Are you hurt, Lita?" Rei was asking. "Did you fell from a swing?"

Mina scowled and crossed her arms over her chest – a thick cloud of flour coming out of her shirt. "Did that Billy boy hurt you?" Mina asked.

"Mina, don't start with that," Ami admonished.

"**That** boy is a pest, Ami!" Mina counteracted.

"She's not hurt," Rei said, looking rather menacingly towards Mina, to see if she could bully her into silence.

The blonde young woman shut her mouth, sniffing and scowling angrily, while Rei looked up to Makoto. "What happened, then, Makoto?"

Makoto blinked and was about to answer when Lita filled them in, when Lita cut in. "Duo baaad! Duo baaad!" she cried, two thick tears falling from her squeezed-shut eyes.

Now it was Ami, Mina and Rei's turn to blink.

"What?" Mina asked.

"Eh…" Makoto babbled.

"Duo made me fall!" Lita said.

"Oh," Ami said, softening her features. "He probably didn't mean it –"

"But he was fighting with Trowa! And there were many, many people and he… he made Mako cryyyy… whaaaa!"

"Fighting?" Rei asked, looking confused.

"He made you cry, Makoto?" Mina asked, looking furious. "And who the hell is Trowa?!"

Ami cleared her throat. "I believe a better question, the one we should be asking you right now, is:_" what happened, Makoto?" _Ami asked.

Makoto opened her mouth to answer the questions she was bombarded with. But she didn't make out a syllable when the bell perched high above the door tinkled.

Everybody's attention flung to the door.

Mina smiled broadly and threw her long, wavy hair over her shoulder and, unconsciously, put her hands on her hips.

Ami blushed and smiled timidly.

Rei raised one eyebrow, sizing up the newly arrived person. Something didn't feel right with this fellow.

Makoto's eyes grew wide by the second and her mouth hung open.

Lita looked over Makoto's shoulder and … smiled. "Trowa!"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

It was weird the way he won over the three friends Makoto had. He already had won over little Lita. Now he had to find a way to get to Makoto's good graces. He knew that his confrontation with Duo didn't get him any points, so he was doing the unbelievable and trying to be as charming as he could.

He apologized sincerely for what happened and seem to found a common ground with her easily. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to stretch the limits of his charms to get Makoto to feel comfortable around him. The fact that Lita was so awed by him was enough to get her attention.

And while he spent a good few hours talking to Makoto on her restaurant's dinning room, Mina, Ami and Rei were in the kitchen with little Lita, who was eating from a batch of fresh cookies Ami made.

Mina kept an eye on them, spying on their conversation, while Ami scolded her for her behavior. Both of them were too engrossed on their little argument to notice just how calm little Lita was. In fact, the little girl – who usually got too restless if she was kept away from Makoto for too long – curiously was very quiet and still, keeping an eye on Rei, who seemed to be nervous for some reason.

"Is there something wrong, Rei?" little Lita asked in that sweet, childish voice of hers that she was still trying to get used to.

Rei, as if waking from a dream as soon as she heard the little girl's voice, shook her head and smiled. "I don't think this is as serious as it looks, Sere," she whispered.

As soon as the nickname was heard, the other two young women in the kitchen sprang into attention.

"Rei!" Ami hissed urgently while nearing the raven-haired young woman. "Be careful!"

"I'm sorry, guys," Rei looked apologetic. "It's just that I'm tired and, for some reason, I can't shake off this feeling…"

"What is it, Rei? Tell us!" Mina said, sitting beside her friend.

Rei's eyes turned glassy; unconsciously falling in a trance. And before her eyes an image, as old as time, appeared. A man, dressed in golden armor, shinning and bright as the sun, overwhelmed her. A man she used to know and has been lost for many centuries appeared in front of her glassy eyes.

_"No. It can't be him. He's different,"_ she thought.

"Tell us, Rei. What's going on?" – Ami asked her, shaking her out of her trance.

Rei brought a shaky hand to her forehead and made a face, as if in pain, "I don't know, guys" she whispered. "Something's not right."

"A messenger?!" Mina asked, alarmed. "Do you feel a messenger near us?"

Rei shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate her powers. "I don't know… He… he…"

"Who, Rei!?" Ami said. "Duo?"

"No," Rei said and then, pointed a finger to the dinning room of the restaurant. "**Him**… Something's not right with him."

"Is he a messenger, then, Rei?" Ami asked.

"I'm not sure. I could be mistaken… but I've a feeling –"

Then, little Lita's eyes widened and the sweet, innocent and ignorant gaze of a three-year-old child turned into the knowing gaze of an old, wise soul. "I think you should make a reading, then, Rei," Lita said.

The three young women looked at the little child, eyes wide.

"Sere…" Mina started.

"Sh! Mina!" Lita hissed and, then, looked at Ami. "Go and try to contact Haruka and Michiru, Ami. Maybe they know something."

Ami nodded and stood. "I'll call them right now"

"I'll go make a reading, Sere – Lita! " she caught herself before finishing. "I'll be back. Ok?"

"Sure!" Lita said with a big smile in her face.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"I can't contact Haruka, Michiru **or **Setsuna" Ami said. "I'm really worried, Mina."

The blonde young woman nodded and looked back at the dinning room. There, Trowa was trying to convince Makoto to go out with him to some get together his friend was throwing at his house. And it was sad to say they were starting to feel desperate.

They hadn't heard word from Rei since she left. Neither they'd being able to get a hold of either Haruka or Michiru, but _now Setsuna, too?_

"Something bad is going on, Ami" Mina said. "I just can feel it."

"We have to have faith either of the girls will contact us soon. I've left a few messages on their communicators. They ought to answer."

"Guys, this is turning for the worst." Lita said, entering the kitchen. "I think she's about to accept his invitation…"

"We have to do something!" Mina exclaimed. "Can't we say that you feel sick or something?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mina. We don't want to worry Mako too much" Lita said.

"We have to come up with something!" Mina said.

"What, then? We can't tieMakoto here. We want her to have as normal a life as she can," Ami said.

"Maybe – No, it wouldn't work" Lita said.

"What? What, Lita? We'll pretty desperate here," Mina exclaimed with wide eyes, looking frantic.

"I don't know… Maybe if I **insist** on going –," Lita said, squinting her eyes.

"That's not such a bad idea," Ami said. "Then, he'll be forced to take Mako to a public place, full of people. We don't know for sure if he's a messenger, or if he knows one…"

Mina looked down at Lita and winked at her with a mischievous glint to them. "Go charm them, Sere!"

"Don't call me that!" Lita admonished, stomping her way to the dinning room.

He needed to try just one more time. He felt so bad that just the thought of not being able to see or talk to Makoto was making him miserable. And to think is been just a few hours since the incident at the park… he wanted to give her space to cool down, so they could talk like two adults.

But what a surprise he got once he neared Makoto's café. Just when he was about to turn the corner to reach her building, he stopped dead on his tracks at the sight of a very familiar vehicle.

_No… It **can't **be!_, he thought, incredulous. _That mother…!_

He just couldn't believe it! Right in front of Makoto's building was a white van and, while Duo squinted his eyes to better read what was written on the side of it, he clearly saw a small logo…

"Damnit!" he muttered, pounding a fist into the nearest wall. He was so angry – so jealous – that he didn't feel the pulsing pain that cursed through his hand, or the hot, sticky blood that ran through his knuckles. He just wished that – instead of the wall – it had been Trowa's face what he had just punched.

He heard a squeal and his eyes narrowed when he got a glimpse of Lita's bouncing pigtails. He pressed himself to the wall, eyes narrowed, scowling and lips tightly pressed. His fists were clenching and unclenching.

"Lita, be careful there honey!" he heard Makoto say, but he couldn't see her.

His eyes softened for a moment when he heard her voice. Then, when he finally got to see her, he was breathless.

She was looking stunning in a short, sleeveless and square – necked black dress. The garment hung loosely but sensually on the right places, giving a tempting idea of just how small her waist is and how well rounded her hips are. The dress reached mid-thigh and, from there, her legs looked endlessly well- rounded. She had on high-heeled sandals that were laced at her ankles.

But what really caught his attention was the way she was wearing her hair. She wasn't wearing her usual ponytail. Her hair was neatly tucked into a chignon at her nape.

She looked graceful and elegant. And he was awed out of his breath… Until he saw Trowa. And his stomach filled with bitter bile.

Trowa was opening the sliding door of the van, while Lita jumped excitedly at his feet.

_He's not a fool_, Duo thought bitterly. _He's gaining points with her while taking Lita with them…_

"Now, you won't unfasten your seatbelt, Lita. You hear me? I mean it," he heard Makoto say while she laid a black and gold shawl around her slender shoulders.

Trowa was lifting Lita and then seating her. Makoto stood by him the whole time. And Duo felt as if his heart was breaking. They did look good together – he had to admit. And he didn't know whether to feel angry at this fact or the one that he just seemed to be -unconsciously - always looking for a reason to put himself down.

"Remember what I told you about cars, Lita," Makoto was saying while Trowa seemed to be very occupied with the young girl's seat.

"Yup!" Lita exclaimed lifting her arms up and nodding excitedly.

Even Trowa had to crack a smile at Lita's exuberant reply. Neither of them knew just how the whole scene was fouling Duo's humor. He was starting to see red. And after her saw Trowa close the van's door and then place a hand on Makoto's waist to guide her to the passenger's door, he just lost it.

He growled deeply in his throat and didn't even think while he came out of his hiding place. He walked, determined towards them, but – after three long strides – he suddenly stopped. A flash of Makoto and Lita's sad faces made him stop.

He just can't see them like that again.

No.

He must calm himself. So he breathed in deeply while his ears picked up the sound of Trowa shutting the van's door. He looked up and saw him moving in front of the van to reach the driver's seat.

_They're leaving! She's leaving! But…where?_ He thought, alarmed. And his eyes landed on Makoto's building. There, at the door, he could make out the silhouette of one of Makoto's friends.

"Ami," he whispered, walking towards the café. And she, as if hearing him, looked at him and her eyes widened.

"Oh… Hi! Duo…" she said with a wavy smile on her lips. He knew then she must have heard of his little incident at the park with Makoto and Trowa, and he could see she didn't know how to treat him.

But Ami's voice alerted someone else. Someone Duo was not too thrilled to know has heard.

Mina looked at him as if he was made out of junk. "What are you doing here?" she spat, eyes narrowed.

Duo winced, but he guessed he deserved what he got for being such an ass. "I came to see Makoto," he whispered. He didn't want to provoke Mina's rage.

"You really have a lot of nerve!" Ami reproached. Duo was speechless. He never thought Ami would treat him like that, ever. "**HOW DARE YOU**?!"

Even Mina was surprised. "Eh… ok, Ami. Take it easy," Mina said.

"Where's Makoto?" he went directly to what he wanted. Although he had a good idea of where they could be. I mean, **Trowa** **was driving the circus van. **It was no brainer.

"None of your business!" Ami said.

"Ami!" Mina said.

"No, Mina. She's right," someone said from Duo's back.

Mina and Ami looked behind the braided young man and saw the imposing figure of Haruka flanked by a very furious looking Rei and two other quiet – but deadly – young women. Haruka was standing tall and had her arms crossed over her chest, looking at Duo with a menacing glint on her eyes, daring him to do something.

Duo turned and looked at Haruka, not all fazed by her angry expression. "I want to apologize," he sincerely said.

"Will have to do it some other day," Rei said.

"There are some pressing matters we have to deal with right now," Setsuna said.

"Something wrong with Makoto?" Duo asked, worried.

"None of your business!" Rei cried. "Now, **GET OUT**!"

"But… I want to know if it's something concerning Makoto – " Duo started, but he was cut off by Michiru's hand on his shoulder.

"I doesn't have anything to do with her," she soothed in a melodious voice. "It's another friends problem we're talking about," she lied with a graceful smile on her lips.

Duo seemed to calm at those words and his eyes looked a little hazy. "Ok," he nodded, numbly. "Tell Makoto I was here to see her. And that I'll be calling her tomorrow."

"Will do, Duo" Michiru promised.

"Ok," Duo said, turning to leave.

They waited till he turned on the corner and disappeared from their sight.

"Wow, Michiru!" Mina exclaimed, awed. "You gotta tell me how you pulled that one off?"

Michiru gave one of her mysterious smiles and said, "Just one of my siren enchantments."

"That's why I love you so much, Michi," Haruka said, putting her arm around the other woman's shoulders.

Setsuna cleared her throat. "We have some pressing matters to attend to, girls," she said.

"Right," Ami said. "Come inside."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

They were certainly in shock.

They weren't expecting to see Trowa arriving at their little get together in company of a beautiful young woman… and her little, cute, baby sister.

"Oh… eh…" Quatre babbled, trying to come up with something to say, but his mind seemed to go into shutdown. Why was it that this felt bad… really bad?

_Let's see…_, he thought, _She has a little sister – just like Duo's friend. And if I'm correct, someone told me of a little incident at the park near the Preventer's Head Quarters this afternoon. I think someone said they were looking for Heero to go and see what the commotion was all about, but Heero was no where to be seen, so they contacted me. But, when I got there, they'd already left. So… could it be - ? Oh, no!_

And while Quatre pondered on the situation at hand, Sally Po smiled, looking at the young woman's legs, where a young girl returned her gaze with a cheerful smile and big, twinkling green eyes; a stuffed cat clutched tightly to her chest.

Wufei narrowed his eyes, recognizing the toy instantly… and then, the little girl's face. Sudden realization struck him. "She's – "

But Trowa's voice was louder than Wufei's, "Let me introduce you to Miss Makoto and Lita Kino," he said.

Now, everybody was more than in shock… they were petrified.

"Oh, we're in deep shit," Wufei muttered, surprised himself for his _Duo moment_.

Sally Po looked at him, with incredulity in her eyes and then, looked from Makoto to little Lita and back. Her face was pale and her eyes held confusion.

Lucrezia Noin blinked and did pretty much the same Sally Po did – the only thing different was the hearty swig she took from Zechs' drink. "Oh, boy… I smell trouble," she said in a singsong voice.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"She left with him?!" Haruka cried. "You let them **go **with him? Are you nuts?"

They just learned Makoto and Lita left with Trowa. And it didn't make matters any better.

"Yes, Haruka," Ami said, "What's wrong?"

Rei sighed, looking pale. "Guys," she started, "I did the reading on him, as Serena asked me. And, what I found won't make any of you happy…"

"What you mean?" Mina asked.

"He's Febus, guys," Michiru added with a somber expression on her face.

"Febus!" Mina fell heavily on the bench that was near her. Ami looked very pale and speechless. "This is terrible," Mina whispered, "what are we going to do now?"

"And he **knows** Shinigami, guys," Ami said. "Both of them are fighting for Mako's attention, what would happen if – " her eyes widened in shock and her head whipped to the side, looking directly at Rei. "Does he know, Rei? Do you think he knows?"

"I don't think he's aware of it – for now, " Rei sighed. "But if they continue fighting –"

"That's the least of our problems now, girls," Setsuna interrupted. "I think something awful is going to happen – and soon."

"What you mean, Sets?" Mina asked.

"Guys," Haruka spoke, "the reason why you couldn't contact us a couple of hours ago was because we were at the Astral Dimension with Setsuna – "

"Something happened?" Ami asked.

Setsuna nodded with a somber expression. "Girls…" she said, "the Parcæ left their looming room."

"WHAT?!" Rei, Mina and Ami screamed.

"They attacked me," Setsuna continued. "Girls, I'm afraid something terrible is about to happen to Makoto."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Things seemed to be getting worse by the second.

Quatre was trying to calm a maddened Duo while Wufei got near Makoto and Trowa. "I think you should go," Wufei said quietly, so Duo wouldn't hear him.

Trowa just nodded as Makoto clutched Lita's arm. "Duo's bad, Mommy! I don't like him anymore!" Lita said, looking up to Makoto.

Makoto's eyes were glued on Duo. Her vision turned misty. She was feeling so ashamed and sad for the whole situation she didn't dare look around her at any of Quatre's guests. She was feeling awfully bad.

Her vision went down to the floor, trying to hide the tears that were so difficult to contain. And her heart was beating slowly. She couldn't even breathe right. That's just how much she wanted to cry.

Trowa, as if sensing her discomfort, grabbed her elbow gingerly and guided her to the marble staircase.

When Duo saw them leaving, he just lost the last bit of control he had on his emotions and actions. The combination of blind fury and the force he put to his struggle made him growl deeply, like an animal, as he shoved Quatre to the floor; nearly stomping all over him when he started to run. He didn't wait to stand just behind Trowa and confront him; he jumped over to him when he was just a few feet away from the taller young man. And he moved so fast, that the others didn't have a chance to stop him.

Duo jumped on Trowa, growling and clamping his shoulders. Trowa nearly landed on his face, but he, being so flexible, turned just before hitting the floor and landed on his side with Duo still clutching his shoulders.

"DUO!" Makoto screamed as she jumped out of the way.

And before anyone could do something, Trowa turned. But Duo already had one fist flying and it landed with a sickening 'smack' on Trowa's cheek.

After that, everything became a blur of fists, kicks, blood, swearing and cries.

It all happened so fast.

Fists were flying and landing on each other's faces, chest and stomachs. Trowa was growling while Duo shocked everyone with a very picturesque list of curses. Noin and Sally were yelling. Lita started to cry. And Relena was shocked still.

Duo and Trowa were now rolling on the floor. And they were getting too near the edge of the marble staircase.

Makoto, after telling Lita to stay away, went to the fighting young men and tried to stop them – a very silly thing, really. And she coincided with Quatre and Wufei on that task.

Wufei picked up Duo while Quatre got to Trowa. Makoto ran and stood between them, extending her arms and placing them on their chests. Both Duo and Trowa were struggling to get free.

"Please! Stop this!" Makoto cried, looking from Duo to Trowa.

"I'll stop as soon as **he **stops interfering!" Duo spat, glaring daggers at Trowa.

"Interfere in **_what_**, Duo? You're **not **her boyfriend!" Trowa said in a soft, menacing growl.

Duo struggled against Wufei's hold. "Let go, damnit! Let go, Wufei!"

"Duo, stop it, now!" Makoto pleaded, but to no avail.

Duo was possessed by jealousy and he was blind.

And Trowa was just as angry as Duo was.

Both had their faces swollen – Duo in particular had a closing eye while Trowa has a cut on his lower lip. Their knuckles were bloody and their clothes and hair were in disarray. They were struggling to break free for the one whom where preventing them form kicking the shit out of the other.

But the greatest shock of the night was Trowa's fierce expression and struggle. Nobody ever thought he could be so affected by one young woman.

And the surprises weren't ceasing that night.

On their fight, Makoto ended standing just a few inches away of the edge of the staircase, her back facing the steps, and her sandals were slipping on the waxed marble.

"Damnit, Wufei! LET GO!" Duo yelled, about to kick – or bite, whatever he was able to do first – the young Chinese man.

"Calm yourself, Maxwell. This is ridiculous."

"Yeah, Duo. Calm yourself;" Quatre said.

But Duo was either deaf or so mad it was like he was deaf, because he didn't comply. He just pulled harder against Wufei's grasp and managed to free himself. Then, he swung a fist in Trowa's direction. But Trowa saw the fist coming his way and bended, surprising Quatre. The blond man loosened his grip on Trowa when he tried to get away form Duo's fist.

And all hell broke loose…

Makoto saw the fist coming her way and she backed, but her feet slipped.

A cry of surprise came out of Makoto's lips and her verdant eyes widened in shock when she found out there was just air behind her. She tried to turned, to stop her descend, but the heel of her shoe slipped the first step, so she tried to grab something to prevent her fall.

"MAKOTO!" Trowa called, wide-eyed and pale.

"MAKO!"

"Mommy!"

Duo ran to try to save her, but he reached her too late.

She landed on her side. Her ribs seemed to crack and burn on impact. The air was knocked out of her and, before she could stop herself, she rolled. Her left arm twisted in a painful angle. She screamed, rolling down the stairs. She faintly heard the cries of Quatre's guests, calling to her. Time lost it's sense while she rolled and rolled and all she could think of was how painful her ribs and arm were hurting, and just how difficult it was for her to breathe.

The fall seemed to last an eternity, and when she landed, her head banged against the floor.

The last thing she remember seeing where three women standing around her. An old woman, a young woman and a little girl stood around her, looking down at her with eerie expressions on their faces.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

OMG! 21 pages! Now, how's that for an update, huh?

Hope you liked it and dying to know what you think may happen to our beloved heroin!

See ya!


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